2023 UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW: REACTION FROM THE KEY PLAYERS

The 2023 UCI Track Champions League culminated in a stunning style last weekend, bringing the curtain down on five incredible rounds of racing. Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand), Katie Archibald (Great Britain), Dylan Bibic (Canada) and Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) emerged as champions, and as well as taking home the coveted blue jerseys, the quartet were also awarded a UCI Track Champions League trophy and €25,000 each in prize money. 

The 2023 campaign saw the UCI Track Champions League go from strength to strength, with captivating racing and enthusiastic crowds combining to produce eclectic atmospheres in Mallorca (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France) and London (United Kingdom).

The series once again succeeded in its goal of reaching new audiences via Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports, entertainment, and free-to-air platforms and 23 additional international broadcast partners, elevating track cycling and providing a more immersive experience than ever before.

As the lights were being de-rigged, the projectors packed up and the bikes prepared for their long trips home, some of the key protagonists from the series gave their thoughts on the 2023 campaign:

THE 2023 CHAMPIONS:

Women's Sprint winner Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand) said: "This season has been really great. It's been so valuable going up against the best riders in the world, week after week, and it's a crazy feeling to have won. Competing in the Sprint and Keirin in the same day is something I haven't done much before, so that's been a big learning experience, and there's lots of good things I can take away from this season. Off the bike, it's been nice to make some new friends as well, and I'd love to do it all again next year, if I can."

Women's Endurance winner Katie Archibald (Great Britain) said: "The 2023 UCI Track Champions League has been exceptional. I've loved competing in front of the fans and the atmosphere during every round has been incredible. It's exciting to see track cycling on such a grand stage and rounding the year off on such a high will stand me in great stead heading into 2024."

Men's Endurance winner Dylan Bibic (Canada) said: "I've found this year to be even better than last year. I've felt good and been much more competitive. I've had a strong mentality and that's taken me a long way. The highlight of my season was definitely my double win in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - only Sebastián Mora has ever done that in the Men's Endurance league before, so it was cool to join him on that list. This series is unlike no other, it's crazy in a good way, and there's so many different factors to take into account. You have to be so mentally attuned, and so physically strong. It's definitely helped my Olympic preparations and I've learned more during this season than at any point in my career. Hopefully that will take me far."

Men's Sprint winner Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) said: "The Keirin final in Berlin was the highlight of the season for me. I came from a long way back to win that race, which was crazy. I really like the week-in, week-out format of the UCI Track Champions League. It means a story of the season develops, and that's great for the people watching. The series is also great from a tactical perspective ahead of the Olympics. You can try a lot of things out, and if something doesn't work, you can make up for it very quickly. I have definitely learned a lot."

MORE REACTION FROM THE KEY PROTAGONISTS:

Runner up in the Men's Sprint competition, and winner of the Sprint race in both Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and the Grand Finale, Matthew Richardson (Australia) said: "I've really enjoyed this season. The organisation and race format has been really good, and the crowds at every round this season have been phenomenal, so I have absolutely no complaints. Although it's still track cycling, and we're working just as hard, the UCI Track Champions League is a completely different experience to anything else we do. The racing takes place in the evenings, with all the lights and production, and the racing itself is more relaxed and fun. The highlight for me was ending Harrie [Lavreysen]'s unbeaten run in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, that felt really good and allowed me to continue the good vibes through, all the way to the finish."

Runner up in the Women's Endurance competition Anita Stenberg (Norway) said: "This season has been amazing and I've really enjoyed it. The series is intense, and competing against the same riders for four weeks is something we never otherwise do. Normally we only ride against each other once or twice a year, so we get to know each other a lot more here, both on and off the bike, and it's a great opportunity to try new tactics. We've enjoyed some great racing and getting to compete in Mallorca, where I live, was special. The atmosphere inside the velodromes has been incredible too, and the support definitely pushes us to give it our all."

Runner up in the Women's Sprint competition and three-time race winner Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (Germany) said: "The season has been great, and I've had so much fun. I enjoyed every second on the track and it was a big chance for me to show what I could do. The racing is hard and you don't have much time to recover, and you also have to be on top of your game, race by race, week after week, for a whole month. I've had a lot of highlights but probably the biggest one for me was getting the chance to ride in front of my home crowd in Berlin in the blue jersey. The support I received there was fantastic and being in the blue jersey was an unexpected surprise. I loved that. I definitely hope to ride the series again next year."

Runner up in the Men's Endurance competition and Elimination winner in London, William Tidball (Great Britain) said: "This series was my first block of racing after my off-season, so it was nice to find my legs again and get my victory in Round 4. It was really useful to ride the track in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines too because that's where we'll be competing at the Olympics, and it'll help us know what to expect next August."

Third place in the Men's Sprint competition, Mateusz Rudyk (Poland) said: "It's been fun testing myself against the best riders in the world and the UCI Track Champions League is a big steppingstone for me between the UCI World Championships and the UEC European Championships in January, where I am aiming to secure my qualification for the Olympics"

Third place in the Women's Endurance competition and two-time Scratch winner Lily Williams (USA) said: "I'm happy with how things have gone overall this season and my performances have been a marked improvement from last year when I finished fifth, but I was perhaps lacking some consistency again this year. Still, I was delighted to win two races and I've had so much fun. As riders, we get looked after super well here, and it's been an essential part of my Olympics preparations."

Third place in the Men's Endurance competition and Elimination winner in Berlin, Jules Hesters (Belgium) said: "The UCI Track Champions League always has a great atmosphere, and although the action is hard, it's like a big bunch of friends racing each other. It was great to take my Elimination win in Berlin, and I've been happy with my consistency throughout the season as well. I would have definitely taken third place overall if you had offered it to me at the start of the season, and it has definitely aided my Olympics preparations as well. These are the same riders we will go up against in Paris, so every opportunity you have to compete against them is useful."

Fourth place in the Women's Sprint competition and UCI World Sprint Champion, Emma Finucane (Great Britain) said: "I've definitely been in a better place than last year, finishing fourth overall as opposed to 15th, and I've certainly enjoyed it. Wearing the rainbow jersey brings with it some added pressure, so I've been learning to manage those expectations a bit. I loved racing in front of a home crowd in London and I've learnt a lot from racing repeatedly against my rivals. I've also enjoyed all the stuff we've done off the track as well, with the TV and social media, and have learnt a lot about that as well."

UCI Track Champions League Ambassador Sir Chris Hoy said: "This has been another year of progression in establishing the UCI Track Champions League as the incredible series that it is. The racing, delivery and spectacle is as good as it always has been, if not better. There's been plenty of great narratives this year and the riders I've spoken to have absolutely loved it. They realise this series is helping to grow the sport, and their own profiles, and they really enjoy it. These are elite athletes who've been working flat out since Mallorca and it's been impressive to watch. 

"The series will have definitely benefitted the riders ahead of the Olympics. They'll have learned a lot about themselves, and their rivals, and I'm sure there will be some future gold medallists in Paris that have come from this roster."