Mark Cavendish sits in third position over night in the omnium at Rio 2016.

The 31-year-old Manxman, who owns property in Ongar, is chasing the first Olympic medal of his stellar career, at the third attempt.

The 30 time Tour de France stage winner was sixth in the event at March's Track World Championships, but showed strong enough form to suggest the gold he is so eager to claim is not out of his reach.

He was sixth in the scratch race, second in the four-kilometres individual pursuit and frustrated with seventh in the elimination race.

The early elimination of Denmark's Lasse Norman Hansen, the defending Olympic champion, represented an opportunity, but Cavendish strayed off the track.

Thomas Boudat of France leads at the halfway mark with 106 points, Elia Viviani of Italy has 104 and Cavendish is third on 96.

World champion Fernando Gaviria of Colombia is joint fourth on 90 and Hansen sixth on 86.

Coach Rod Ellingworth said: "He's disappointed, but he's right where we want him to be. He's still in with a shout. It's all to race for.

"He's a winner, so he's never happy unless he's on the top step."