DEFENDING champion Jason Kenny had to settle for fifth in the men’s Keirin on day two of the Track Cycling World Championships as France’s Francois Pervis won gold ahead of crowd favourite Fabian Puerta of Colombia.
Puerta was roared on by a partisan support in Cali, but Pervis had enough pace to hold off his challenge, while Matthijs Buchli of Holland was third.
Kenny recognised his medal bid was over with half a lap to go after avoiding a collision which saw Germany’s Maximilian Levy tumble to the track and settled merely to make it to the finish line safely.
The 25-year-old from Bolton has a day off today before the two-day sprint competition tomorrow and Sunday.
Britain had won three of the last four Keirin world titles, with Sir Chris Hoy winning in 2010 and 2012 and Kenny 12 months ago in Minsk.
Matt Crampton, squeezed out of the final by placing fourth behind Kenny in the semi-final, won the minor final to claim seventh overall.
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