EVENT PREVIEW: WORLD-CLASS RIDERS ARRIVE IN LONDON FOR BACK-TO-BACK FINALE OF UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

2 December 2021 – Paris, France: Following a dramatic round two in Lithuania, the explosive track cycling series reaches its finale, as round three and a round four finale of the UCI Track Champions League arrive at the iconic  velodrome at Lee Valley VeloPark, London. 

 Dazzling performances in front of a sold-out Cido Arena velodrome from Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) and Emma Hinze (Germany) mean the pair now hold a commanding lead over their nearest rivals in the men’s and women’s Sprint League. Germany’s Stefan Bötticher - second place in the men’s Sprint - and female compatriot Lea Friedrich - second in the women’s Sprint - will both attempt to overhaul a significant eighteen point margin to first place.

In such a dynamic and unpredictable series, a lot can change however - as demonstrated by Corbin Strong (New Zealand), who forfeited a ten point lead going into round two following disappointing performances on the night in Panevėžys. Having won both the Men’s Scratch and Elimination races, Sebastian Mora (Spain) now leads the category by just two points from Strong, and six from Gavin Hoover (USA). In the Women’s Endurance category, Katie Archibald (Great Britain) heads to London with a thirteen point lead over Canada’s Maggie Coles-Lyster after another dominant display.

Double Olympic gold medalist Katie Archibald will be joined by three British riders, supported by a sold-out crowd of  6000 at the velodrome across both rounds. Five-time UCI World Champion and triple Olympic gold medalist Ed Clancy returns to Lee Valley alongside UCI Track Cycling World Championship bronze medallists in Roubaix Rhys Britton and Sophie Capewell. 

Ed Clancy, gold medalist at Lee Valley in the 2012 Olympic Games, said: “There’s something special about the track and although it’s a long time ago now, I still have so many great memories from there at London 2012. I love the place and always look forward to coming. I’ll try my best this weekend but I’m not in great form at the moment. I’ve been training well and my back is in a better place than it was in round one but it’s going to be hard for me to set the crowd on fire! Luckily we have Katie, as well as young Rhys and Sophie who will all do well.”

Rhys Britton added: “I’m really looking forward to it. The legacy of the velodrome has inspired a lot of people, myself included, so it's great to race there in front of a sold out crowd. It’s going to be incredible for me as I don’t think I’ve ever raced in front of a full-capacity velodrome before. I’m feeling ambitious and I’m going to start every race with the aim of winning. It will be difficult to take the top spot overall but never say never!” 

Sir Chris Hoy, league ambassador and double gold medalist at London 2012, said of the Lee Valley Olympic Velodrome: “It is a fantastic venue for two main reasons; firstly the stadium with its 360 degree seating and curved low ceiling makes for an intense atmosphere, with the fans right up close to the action. Secondly I believe that British crowds are up there with the best in the world in terms of their knowledge and passion for track cycling and always create a brilliant atmosphere, cheering for all strong performances, not just the home riders.”

Cycling fans will be able to access real-time rider data, powered by AWS, via live broadcasting and the official app during the race. Powered by the league’s Global Data Partner AWS, the app delivers an immersive fan experience not seen before in cycling, showcasing the performance data and profiles of riders in real-time, and providing unique insights into the world’s best track cyclists.

 Televised worldwide courtesy of Eurosport, GCN+ and a host of international broadcast partners, round three of the UCI Track Champions League begins at 20:00 CET on Friday.

RACE PROGRAMME - ROUND 3

Event 1 MEN’S SPRINT - First Round (6 heats of 3 riders)

Event 2 WOMEN'S KEIRIN - First Round (3 heats of 6 riders)

Event 3 WOMEN'S SCRATCH (20 laps)

Event 4 MEN'S SPRINT - Semi-Finals (2 heats of 3 riders)

Event 5 WOMEN'S KEIRIN - Final (Final of 6 riders)

Event 6 MEN'S SCRATCH - (20 laps)

Event 7 MEN'S SPRINT - Final (Final of 2 riders)

Event 8 WOMEN'S SPRINT - First Round (6 heats of 3 riders)

Event 9 WOMEN'S ELIMINATION (Elimination every 2 laps)

Event 10 MEN'S KEIRIN - First Round (3 heats of 6 riders)

Event 11 WOMEN'S SPRINT - Semi-Finals (2 heats of 3 riders)

Event 12 MEN'S ELIMINATION (Elimination every 2 laps)

Event 13 MEN'S KEIRIN - Final (Final of 6 riders)

Event 14 WOMEN'S SPRINT - Final (Final of 2 riders)

RACE PROGRAMME - ROUND 4

Event 1 WOMEN'S SPRINT - First Round (6 heats of 3 riders)

Event 2 MEN'S KEIRIN - First Round (3 heats of 6 riders)

Event 3 MEN'S SCRATCH (20 laps)

Event 4 WOMEN'S SPRINT - Semi-Finals (2 heats of 3 riders)

Event 5 MEN'S KEIRIN - Final (Final of 6 riders)

Event 6 WOMEN'S SCRATCH (20 laps)

Event 7 WOMEN'S SPRINT - Final (Final of 2 riders)

Event 8 MEN'S SPRINT - First Round (6 heats of 3 riders)

Event 9 MEN'S ELIMINATION (Elimination every 2 laps)

Event 10 WOMEN'S KEIRIN - First Round (3 heats of 6 riders)

Event 11 MEN'S SPRINT - Semi-Finals (2 heats of 3 riders)

Event 12 WOMEN'S ELIMINATION (Elimination every 2 laps)

Event 13 WOMEN'S KEIRIN - Final (Final of 6 riders)

Event 14 MEN'S SPRINT - Final (Final of 2 riders)

CHRIS AND KRISTINA’S ONES TO WATCH

Multiple Olympic and UCI World Champions Sir Chris Hoy and Kristina Vogel give their thoughts on the league, and the riders to watch in London:

Giving his thoughts on the new league so far, Sir Chris Hoy said: “I think it has started incredibly well and will keep gathering momentum as the rounds go by. I was absolutely blown away by the spectacle and the show that’s been put on so far; by the production team as well as by the riders. The lasers and lights displayed inside the velodrome are like nothing I’ve seen before and I think the graphics on TV are the new benchmark for all track cycling broadcasts. The racing was fierce and the riders appear to be revelling in this new, non-stop condensed action format.”

Kristina Vogel added: “It has been amazing. It’s such a ‘full-gas’ competition. The intensity of the racing is the same as the fight for Olympic gold medals, and all the athletes are enjoying it. When you add this to two awesome home crowds, it has been fantastic.”

 Discussing the riders to watch in rounds three and four, Hoy said: “There appear to be clear favourites now in 3 out of the 4 categories; with Harrie Lavreyson, Emma Hinze and Katie Archibald dominating their respective categories. All three seem to have coped supremely well with the demands of a season that included the Olympics, World Champs and European Champs and yet still have enough gas in the tank to be head and shoulders above their rivals. In the men’s endurance it is a much tighter race, with Sebastian Mora taking the leader’s jersey from Corbin Strong in Lithuania but there’s nothing in it going into the final two rounds in London this weekend.”

Kristina Vogel added: “Aside from the leaders, it’s difficult to highlight just one or two riders as I’m loving all of them. I love to see this mix of talent.  The Elimination races have seen so many great riders get their elbows out, while in the Scratch you can see more tactics unfold. In the sprint events there’s this classic cat and mouse play, and we’re seeing incredible speeds in the Keirin from all the riders.”

ABOUT LEE VALLEY VELOPARK

Located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in Stratford, East London, Lee Valley VeloPark is home to the world-class Lee Valley Olympic Velodrome. Designed by Ron Webb, who also designed the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games velodromes, the regulation 250m track is made with Siberian Pine and boasts the fastest track in the world.

The award-winning velodrome opened in 2011 ahead of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and opened to the public in March 2014. It saw the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Sarah Storey secure a record number of medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games and in 2016 the velodrome staged the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. The Lee Valley Olympic Velodrome has a seated capacity of 6000 - sold-out for both rounds of the league. 

WHERE TO WATCH ROUNDS THREE & FOUR

Televised worldwide courtesy of Eurosport, GCN+ and a host of international broadcast partners, round three and four of the UCI Track Champions League begin at 20:00 CET on Friday and Saturday. A full list of international broadcasters for both rounds will be announced shortly. 

THE SPORTING FORMAT

The UCI Track Champions League is a league format where every round features the same race programme. Riders score points across the five rounds in either the Sprint or Endurance category. Each category has two different types of races in which competitors can accumulate points: Sprinters race in both the Sprint and Keirin while Endurance riders race both the Elimination and Scratch. 18 riders take part in each category, totaling 72 riders — equal numbers male and female — to race in the inaugural UCI Track Champions League.

The Sprint Category races:

Sprint: The Sprint race will see the first rider to cross the finish line after three laps of the track win. The first round will comprise six heats of three riders going head-to-head, with the six winners progressing on to the semifinals. Two heats of three riders will then determine the final two competitors to go for the win.

Keirin: The Keirin race is a massed start sprint over five laps. The first two laps of the track will be behind a Derny motorcycle to set the pace, leaving riders to sprint to the finish over the remaining three. Six riders will take part in three heats, with the top two riders qualifying for the final. In the final, six riders will compete for victory.

The Endurance category races:

 Elimination: In the Elimination race the last rider across the finish line in every other lap will be eliminated from the race. The first lap will be a neutral lap and all 18 riders take part from the off.

Scratch: The classic Scratch race will be contested over a relatively short distance of 5 km to see the high-speed action start from the gun. All 18 will be vying for a podium position over 20 laps of the 250m track.

POINTS AND RIDERS RANKINGS 

Rankings within the UCI Track Champions League are determined by points allocated to riders from their performance in each race (see below for example). Points accrue in a ranking table and the overall winner in each of the categories will be the rider with the most points at the end of the series. At the end of each round the current leader is awarded the UCI Track Champions League leader’s jersey to wear at the next round.