Cyclist Ed Clancy was surprised after claiming bronze in the men's omnium as Great Britain missed out on Olympic gold for just a second time at the London 2012 velodrome.
On a day when Jason Kenny and Victoria Pendleton made serene progress in the men's and women's sprint competitions, Olympic team pursuit champion Clancy settled for third, but hailed the crowd after rising from fifth place with one discipline to go in the six-discipline event.
Clancy, the 2010 world omnium champion, won two of the events and finished second in a third, but ultimately fell short of the title due to two disappointing displays in the bunch races as Denmark's Lasse Hansen took the title.
Clancy said: "I wasn't expecting a medal (entering the final event, the one-kilometre time-trial). All those guys on 25 points (three riders were level entering the final event) have all done good kilos in the past.
"I thought it would be fourth place and a bit of disappointment. That's why I was so happy to get a medal in the end. When I think about the big picture, looking back on this, it will be awesome."
Hansen, who crashed in the scratch race and benefited from a period of grace, triumphed with 27 points, Bryan Coquard of France was second on 29 and Clancy finished with 30, while world champion Glenn O'Shea of Australia was fifth on 34.
Britain had won four of the five events in the previous three days of competition - missing out only in the women's team sprint - and were well placed in Monday's only medal event, with Kenny untroubled in advancing to the last four of the men's sprint.
Clancy's competition was varied - he won the flying lap on day one, finished 11th in the points race and fifth in the elimination race to sit fourth at the midway point overnight.
The 27-year-old Yorkshireman moved up to second with second place in the four-kilometre individual pursuit, but fell four points off the pace with a 10th-placed finish in the penultimate event, the 15km (60 lap) scratch race.
Clancy said: "The scratch race didn't go to plan but I gave everything I had. I was in a world of pain there. I was disappointed initially but I gave it my best. I just thought 'right, let's go and smash the kilo and see what happens'."