The 2022 UCI Track Champions League finished in spectacular fashion with a double-header for rounds four and five on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd in London, England. The Lee Valley VeloPark was packed with spectators who came to watch the best track athletes in the world battle it out for this year’s titles and the prize money of 25,000 euros for each of the four category winners.
All eyes were on the showdown between Matt Richardson (Australia) and Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) for the Men’s Sprint title. Coming into round five, the two superstars were leading in the overall standings and after a win in the Sprint from Lavreysen, he was in pole position to win it all. However, in a dramatic finish, Richardson edged out his rival by mere centimeters in the Keirin to win the overall title by just two points, dethroning the Dutch rider.
With five Canadian riders competing in the 2022 Track Champions League, Team Canada was hoping to score good results and potentially win some races—and they did. Mathias Guillemette from Quebec led the Men’s Endurance overall standings after the first two rounds in Mallorca and Berlin. In a tight race for the endurance crown, Guillemette dropped down to fifth place, 16 points behind Claudio Imhof of Switzerland, who would eventually take home the overall victory. Guillemette’s compatriot and teammate, Dylan Bibic, who secured his first win of the series in the elimination race in round 2 in Germany, ended up finishing in 11th place in the overall standings.
Olympic Champion Kelsey Mitchell from Alberta secured second place in the Women’s Sprint standings with a win in the semi-final heat in the last sprint race of the year. In the final, she had to settle for second place, behind Mathilde Gros from France, who won the overall as well. Mitchell also has a win to her name, scoring it in the Keirin race in round 2 in Germany.
BC was represented by the two endurance specialists, Sarah Van Dam of Victoria and Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge. This was Cole-Lyster’s second season in the Track Champions League and her best so far, with three podiums appearance in the elimination races, two top-five results in the scratch races, and tied for third place in the overall endurance standings, sharing it with Anita Stenberg from Norway. Van Dam ended her first season of the Track Champions League with a second place in the final scratch race in London, securing her the eighth place in the women’s final endurance standings. With five top-five finishes over the course of the series, the 21-year-old made a strong case to be back in the league for next year. The same can be said about Coles-Lyster, who had just three races all series long in which she didn’t finish in the top five. In the overall endurance league standings, USA rider Jennifer Valente beat out superstar Kate Archibald from the UK to win her first Champions League overall title.
With the aim to continue supporting athlete development and cycling in Canada, Cycling Canada in partnership with Argon 18 and Velocolour, is auctioning off the five Canadian rider’s custom painted bike frames, with 100% of the proceeds going to each of their local cycling clubs, which helped them get to where they are now. Money raised from Coles-Lyster’s bike auction will benefit the Burnaby Velodrome Club and Van Dam’s bike auction will benefit Tripleshot Cycling Club. Visit the auction page.
After five exhilarating rounds of racing in which the UCI Track Champions League showed us why its race format is the most exciting in the track world, we’re already excited about next year’s edition.
2022 UCI Track Champions League Final standings:
Men Sprint Points
- Matthew Richardson (AUS) 183
- Harrie Lavreysen (NED) 181
- Stefan Boetticher (GER) 136
Women Sprint
- Mathilde Gros (FRA) 140
- Kelsey Mitchell (CAN) 127
- Shane Braspennincx (NED) 122
Men Endurance
- Claudio Imhof (SUI) 125
- Sebastian Mora 125
- Mark Stewart (GBR) 115
5. Mathias Guillemette (CAN) 107
11. Dylan Bibic (CAN) 73
Women Endurance
- Jennifer Valente (USA) 161
- Katie Archibald (UK) 158
- Anita Sternberg (NOR) 110
3. Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN) 110
8. Sarah Van Dam (CAN) 34
Full standings at https://ucitrackchampionsleague.com/standings/