The Championships were originally due to be held from 13-17 October in Turkmenistan, but after concerns about the authoritarian rule of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and the country’s COVID-19 situation, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) was forced to back-pedal and relocate the event. The competition is now back on track and is set to take place in bike-mad Roubaix in northeast France at the Vélodrome Couvert Régional Jean-Stablinski (often referred to as the STAB Velodrome) from 20-24 October.
The Championships are open to riders selected by their national association and currently consist of 20 different disciplines (10 men's events and 10 women's events):
- Sprint - 2 riders compete starting at the same start line, the final 200 m of the 750 m are timed. The first rider across the finish line wins
- Keirin - between 3-7 riders compete in a sprint race after tailing a pacing motorbike (derny) for the first 1,400 m
- Team Sprint - the men's race has 3-rider teams competing over 3 laps, while the women’s event has 2-rider teams racing over 2 laps. Each race sees 2 teams compete. Each rider sits on the front for 1 lap before peeling off, leaving the team with 1 less rider after each lap
- 500 m or Kilo - the men’s kilometre and women’s 500m are individual time trial sprints from a standing start. The competitor with the fastest time is the winner
- Individual pursuit - a head-to-head endurance race where 2 riders start on opposite sides of the track and compete over 4 km (3 km for women). The winner is the rider who manages to catch his/her opponent or who records the fastest time
- Team pursuit - 2 teams of 4 riders start on opposite sides of the track, racing against each other to be the first to complete 4 km
- Points race - the aim is to accumulate as many points as possible. Points are scored during intermediate sprints, which occur every 10 laps. Points can also be earned by taking a lap from the field. Riders are awarded double points in the final sprint
- Scratch race - up to 24 riders compete over 15 km (men) or 10 km (women). Within the pack will be a mixture of endurance and sprint specialists
- Omnium - made up of aggregated results from a series of races including a points race, elimination race, scratch race remain, and a tempo race
- Madison - 2-man teams contest the mass-start event, typically 50-60 km. Only 1 rider from each team is allowed in the race at a given time. Teammates hand-sling one another in and out of the race
Winners of each discipline receive a gold medal and a recognisable rainbow jersey.
Road cycling’s equivalent event - the UCI Road World Championships - took place in Flanders, Belgium from 19-26 September and this 100th edition had its fair share of drama. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe defended his title in the elite road race with a photo finish to decide between third and fourth place. In 2022, the Championships are set to travel to Wollongong on the east coast of Australia where warm weather and sunny beaches will present a rather different challenge for the riders.
For fans interested in other track cycling events, the brand-new UCI Track Champions League - with Round 1 in Palma (6 November) and both London rounds (3 & 4 December) currently on sale - and Six Day London (26-31 October) offer the excitement of the racing combined with a party atmosphere in the velodrome.
Get those wheels in motion: book your tickets to the UCI Track Cycling World Championships here and take a look at other UCI World Championship events here!
