Designed to refresh the discipline and establish its place on the cycling calendar, the Track Champions League was created by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Eurosport Events.
Round 1 will be held in Mallorca’s Palma Arena in Spain, Round 2 at Montigny-le-Bretonneux’s Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France, Round 3 at Panevėžys’ Cido Arena in Lithuania, Round 4 and Round 5 both at Lee Valley VeloPark in London, and finally, Round 6 in the brand new Sylvan Adams Velodrome in Tel Aviv, Israel. Currently, the 2 rounds in London (3 & 4 December) are on sale, with tickets for other venues to be released shortly.
Each at different stages of their professional track cycling careers, 3 men and 3 women have been chosen as ‘Founding Riders’ of the Track Champions League to race alongside their fellow competitors at the 6 rounds of racing: Ed Clancy (UK), Emma Hinze (Germany), Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), Mathilde Gros (France), Sebastián Mora (Spain), and Simona Krupeckaitė (Lithuania). Sir Chris Hoy and Kristina Vogel are race ambassadors.
The top riders will qualify from the UCI Track World Championships to compete in the Track Champions League and determine who are the world’s best riders. The race format will be simpler than current competitions to include the fastest and most exciting disciplines.
- Sprint - 2 riders compete starting at the same start line. The race is 750 m, but only the final 200 m are timed. Early laps are usually raced at low speed as they battle one another for position, but then it ramps up. The first rider across the finish line wins
- Keirin - riders compete in a sprint race of 600-700 m after tailing a pacing motorbike (derny) for the first 1,400 m. The derny increases in speed before peeling off and allowing the sprint to begin
- Elimination - "snap-dragon" races are a form of race wherein certain participants are eliminated through various criteria. The most common type is miss and out: at the end of every lap or set number of laps, the last rider to cross the line is eliminated
- Scratch - riders compete over 15 km (men) or 10 km (women). Endurance cyclists aim to lap the field in order to stop powerful sprinters from sprinting at the end of the race
Only 18 riders will compete in the Sprint Championship (Sprint and Keirin) and 18 in the Endurance Championship (Elimination and Scratch) with equal numbers of male and female riders. Male and female winners will be awarded equal prize money.
After the recent disruption of the UEC Elite Track Championships being relocated from Belarus and then postponed and the UCI Track World Championships being moved from Turkmenistan, cycling fans will be happy to hear the news that they can book their place for a brand new competition. Eurosport Events hope that it will bring “a fresh new approach to the track cycling format rooted in driving accessibility and excitement amongst existing and new fans alike.”
Click here to check out all 6 rounds of the UCI Track Champions League and purchase tickets.