European Track Cycling Championships – in pictures

They love cycling so much over in Holland they even have a huge bike outside the velodrome Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

It is not a good start for the men's sprint team of Jason Kenny, front, Chris Hoy and Matt Crampton. They come in fifth and consequently miss out on a place in the final Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Thankfully for Team GB, the men's team pursuit, with Ed Clancy out front, do a lot better and qualify fastest for Friday night's final Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Let's see them do their thing from another angle Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The Dutch men's team pursuit miss out on qualifying for the final by 762/1000th of a second Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The Belgian men's team pursuit cast shadows during the qualification heats. Unfortunately for them they finished seventh and are out Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Anything you can do ... the Team GB women's team pursuit on way to qualifying fastest for Friday night's final - Laura Trott leads Dani King and Jo Rowsell Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The women's team pursuit from Poland couldn't match the speed of the British team and finished in eighth, 10.616 seconds behind Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Ukraine's Elizaveta Bochkareva crashes in the bronze final of the women's team pursuit Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Bochkareva's suffered scrapes after her crash Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The British women's team pursuit were in fine form as they won gold in the final Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Mini clogs are handed over to the women's team pursuit medallists Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Team GB were victorious in the women's team sprint too. Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish, right, are all smiles as they stand on the podium listening to the national anthem Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Andy Tennent and Ed Clancy of the GB mens team pursuit warm up for their final... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

...it did the trick as they won gold Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The women's points race is a crowded affair Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

After Friday's poor start, when the men's sprint team failed to qualify for the final, Sir Chris Hoy has another bad start to the day. He competed in the qualifying time trial for the mens sprint... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

....but after the run he speaks to Dave Brailsford (performance director) and Steve Peters (team psychiatrist) and withdraws from the sprint competition due to a lingering flu bug Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

A cyclist makes his way through the tunnel into the centre of the track Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Laura Trott competing in the womens omnium flying lap Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

A multiple crash in the mens omnium elimination race Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Jess Varnish puts her feet up in between rounds of the womens sprint Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Tom Jenkins

Lithuania's Gabriele Jankute posed no problem for Victoria Pendleton in the first round of the Women's sprint... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

But in the quarter-final she came up against Lyubov Shulika, their second heat was a cat-and-mouse affair and Pendleton didn't quite have the speed to catch her and is knocked out Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Then things get worse for the World Sprint Champion in 5-8th final (the race to decide the ranking for the riders who didn't make the semi-finals). She finishes last and hence she finished the competition ranked 8th Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

VIPs enjoy a drink as well as the action Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Jason Kenny warms up on the rollers before his mens sprint quarter-final, which he won so he's into the semis... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

With Hoy out due to illness, this is Jason Kenny's chance to steel a march on his rival for the Team GB 2012 squad. His opponent in the semi-final is Maximilian Levy of Germany... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

...but he crashes in the deciding leg... Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

...and he can't catch the German so is out. It's not been a good day for the British team, lets hope the final day brings a change of fortune Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian