The UCI Track Champions League is back—and bigger than ever. With two rounds already done including races in Spain and Germany, let’s see how our Canadian riders are doing against some of the toughest track competitors in the world.
Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell from Alberta scored the first win of her 2022 UCI Track Champions League campaign in the Keirin this past weekend at the Berlin Velodrome after finishing in 2nd place to Martha Bayona from Columbia in the opening round a week earlier. Bayona also leads the women’s sprint standings—just one point ahead of Mitchell. In third place is Mathilde Gros from France, who won both Sprint races so far.
Canadian Mathias Guillemette from Quebec has had strong performances across the board including a win in the Elimination race in Spain; Guillemette leads the men’s Endurance league standings after two races. Fellow Canadian rider Dylan Bibic from Ontario won the Elimination race in Germany, securing a sweep of this event for Canada so far. Bibic currently sits in 11th place in the standings.
BC’s Sarah Van Dam and Maggie Coles-Lyster are racing in the Endurance category have also produced great results in their races so far. Van Dam finished in fourth and fifth place in Spain, along with another fifth-place finish in the Elimination race in Berlin. Coles-Lyster scored three Top-10 finishes as well, achieving a 4th place in the Elimination race in Spain, just ahead of Van Dam, and a 5th place finish in the Scratch race in Germany. While BC’s riders have not seen the podium just yet, Van Dam currently sits fourth in the Endurance standings with 40 points, only three points behind Lily Williams from the UK, who is in third place at the moment. Coles-Lyster sits in a strong 6th place at the moment.
With three races still to go, anything can happen; the next stop for the UCI Track Champions League is in France on November 26th before it all comes to an end with the final two races on December 2nd & 3rd in London. Team Canada has done a great job so far placing one rider in at least the Top-4 in every category, they were nominated.
Watch Round 2 – Berlin:
UCI Track Champions League Standings After Two Rounds:
Men Sprint
1. Harrie Lavreysen (NED) 74 points
2. Matthew Richardson (AUS) 72
3. Stefan Boetticher (GER) 58
Women Sprint
1. Martha Bayona (COL) 49
2. Kelsey Mitchell (CAN) 48
3. Mathilde Gros (FRA) 46
Men Endurance
1.Mathias Guillemette (CAN) 55
2.Mark Stewart (GBR) 50
3.Claudio Imhof (SUI) 48
11.Dylan Bibic (CAN) 23
Women Endurance
1. Jennifer Valente (USA) 66
2. Katie Archibald (UK) 60
3. Lily Williams (USA) 43
4. Sarah Van Dam (CAN) 40
6. Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN) 34
You can watch the next round of the UCI Track Champions League on CBC Sports: