The Belgian team pursuit squad has shelved its dreams about going to the Rio Olympics. "We need to make miracles to qualify," said co-ordinator Koen Beeckman. The Belgians will therefore not participate in the next two World Cup races and the World Championships.

After the disappointing result in Cali, it was already clear that the Belgians would not make the cut for the Olympics. "Mathematically it is still possible but then all miracles have to happen," co-ordinator Koen Beeckman tells Sporza.

"We'd have to ride times we have never done and that's just not possible. Miracles do not exist in sport.

"The chance is so incredibly small that we will not even try. It's game over. This project has no chance of success."

The Belgian team pursuit (Kenny De Ketele, Jasper De Buyst, Gijs Van Hoecke, Moreno De Pauw and Jonathan Dufrasne) will no longer participate in the World Cup races in Hong Kong and New Zealand or the Worlds.

"It is regrettable that we did not qualify, and the project will be properly evaluated," says director Jos Smets. "But the track story is not over. There are many other options in Rio and at Worlds."