Harrie Lavreysen delivered as decisive a win as you can imagine at international level, leaving a strong men’s final field in his wake to retain his European keirin title for another year.

With the Dutchman drawn at the back of the line, everyone knew what was coming. Maximilian Dörnbach, initially placed directly behind the derny, moved back in the line to make it easier to respond. Others just looked over their shoulders anxiously, awaiting the inevitable.

It came with just over two laps to go. He was forced high up the track as those nearer the back tried to respond; but into corner 3 with a lap and a half left, Lavreysen took the front – and took off. The gap widened to seven or eight lengths, and the on-screen speed indicator suggested he broke 80km/h.

He had plenty of time to raise his arms in familiar celebration, leaving us to await the scrap for podium places. Dörnbach held on tightly for second, with Derache finishing fast for bronze.

Lavreysen finished the week unbeaten as an individual, winning every race on the way to sprint and keirin gold; but only a silver in the team sprint, behind the French.

In the women’s competition, Steffie van der Peet took her first solo success at the highest level, stretching to win a stacked medal race by less than half a wheel.

Great Britain’s Rhian Edmunds had been drawn first behind the derny, and found herself with an unexpected gap on the field. With two laps to go, she decided to press on, hoping to hold off the field.

Van der Peet, still in second, drew alongside her with half a lap remaining, and emerged from the final corner slightly ahead. But Edmunds found a little more in the tank, and looked like she could maybe snatch it back at the line – but van der Peet’s throw gave her the few centimetres she needed.

Hetty van de Wouw found a gap behind van der Peet as neutral athlete Alina Lysenko tussled with GB’s Lauren Bell, and claimed bronze with a strong photobomb effort.

That’s a second gold this week for van der Peet: she was in the Netherlands team which won team sprint, but had a disappointingly early exit in the individual sprint. Rhian Edmunds, meanwhile, goes home with three silvers.

Lea Sophie Friedrich, seeking a fifth successive European keirin title, failed to make the final. But like Mikhail Yakovlev in the men’s minor final soon after, she was determined to finish on a high, and won the support race in decisive fashion.