By Sportswriter Liu Ning

LONDON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cycling coach Daniel Morelon on Friday attacked a controversial refereeing that "robbed" his students of a gold medal.

Germany's Miriam Welte and Kristina Vogel were crowned inaugural Olympic women's team sprint champions following the relegation of China at the Velodrome Thursday.

Guo Shuang and Gong Jinjie had claimed what would have been a first Olympic cycling gold for China in the two-lap event, only to be relegated soon after for an "illegal changeover".

China's French coach Morelon said the Chinese team didn't violate any rules and "our gold was robbed."

"Even there is no appeal process in cycling, we still wanted the world to know that this is unfair and shamful for the Olympic sprit," he said.

"After the race, I came to the referee, who did not show any video replay to me," said Morelon, a cycling legend who won four Olympic golds in his career.

"I watched the race video again and again, after I returned to the Athletes' Village. I looked over the rules and regulations of the sport and concluded the Chinese didn't violate any rules."

Gong and Guo shattered the world record twice, in the qualifying and the first round on Thursday.

"We broke the world record twice," said Morelon, who took the helm of the Chinese track cycling team in 2008 before the Beijing Games. "My cyclists are the best, they deserved the gold medal. Unfortunately, these Olympics are not fair to them." Enditem

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