PREVIEW: UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RETURNS TO MALLORCA TO KICK OFF SEASON THREE

The third season of the UCI Track Champions League gets under way in Mallorca this Saturday (21st October). 72 of the world's best track cyclists - with no-less than 14 Olympic medals and 36 UCI Track World Championships titles between them - will go head to head at the Velòdrom Illes Balears.

Here is all the key information heading into Round 1:

RIDERS TO WATCH

WOMEN'S SPRINT
Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand)
Despite being just 23 years old, Ellesse already has a palmarès many riders would envy. In August she became a UCI World Champion for the very first time in the Keirin, and also took a bronze medal in the Sprint. Those titles were added to a packed trophy cabinet which also includes an Olympic silver medal, four Commonwealth Games medals (three gold and one silver), and no-less than eight Oceania Track Championships medals (six gold and two silver).

Emma Finucane (Great Britain)
Emma cemented her place among the world’s best sprinters by claiming her first-ever rainbow jersey in the Sprint at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. That triumph, coupled with a silver medal in the Team Sprint, and two additional silver medals at the 2023 UEC European Championships (in the Keirin and Team Sprint), ensures she’ll be coming into the UCI Track Champions League as one of the big favourites, aiming to improve her 15th-place in 2022.

MEN'S SPRINT
Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands)
A living track cycling legend with no-less than 13 rainbow jerseys to his name, two of which were earned in the Sprint and Team Sprint events at the UCI Cycling World Championships in August. Harrie is also a two-time reigning Olympic Champion (in the Sprint and Team Sprint) and the most successful rider in UCI Track Champions League history to date. In 2021 he won five races on his way to the first-ever Men’s Sprint title, and backed that up last season with five further race successes.

Matthew Richardson (Australia)
Matthew enjoyed a dream UCI Track Champions League debut last season, winning five of the 10 races and defeating Harrie Lavreysen to the Men’s Sprint title by two points after a monumental battle between the pair. The Australian is also two-time reigning Commonwealth Games Champion, having won Sprint and Team Sprint gold in 2022, and claimed two silver medals at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (in the Team Sprint and Keirin), one year after achieving his first rainbow jersey in the Team Sprint.

WOMEN'S ENDURANCE
Katie Archibald (Great Britain)
With an incredible 28 senior gold medals to her name including two Olympic, five UCI World Championships, 20 UEC European Championships and one Commonwealth Games title, Katie is the most decorated Endurance rider on this year’s roster. Her place in the UCI Track Champions League history books has also been assured after she sealed the first-ever Women’s Endurance title in 2021, and also bagged five race victories on her way to second place overall during last season’s series.

Anita Stenberg (Norway)
Anita narrowly missed out on the podium at last year’s UCI Track Champions League, finishing fourth overall despite winning the Elimination race in Mallorca and claiming two top-three results in London. The Norwegian comes into this year’s series having picked up her second UEC European Championships title in Grenchen, Switzerland back in February, following on from her Scratch race success in 2022.

MEN'S ENDURANCE
Dylan Bibic (Canada)
Despite being just 20 years old, Dylan has already marked himself out as one of the finest Endurance riders in the sport. During his first season as a senior in 2022 he won a rainbow jersey in the Scratch Race at the UCI Track World Championships, and followed that up this year with a silver medal in the Elimination. The successes don’t end there though, he has also claimed a remarkable 10 medals in the last two Pan American Championships, nine of them gold, and earned himself an Elimination victory in Berlin at the UCI Track Champions League last season.

Claudio Imhof (Switzerland)
Last season Claudio proved that consistency was key at the UCI Track Champions League as he claimed the Men’s Endurance title by the very tightest of margins. The Swiss rider finished second in the final Elimination race of the season, two places ahead of Sebastián Mora, ensuring he defeated the Spaniard for the blue jersey despite finishing level on points. The 33 year old will be going all out to defend his title this time around and aiming to add to the one Scratch race victory he secured during the inaugural 2021 season.

Click HERE for the full list of riders who will be competing in the 2023 UCI Track Champions League.

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SELECTED RIDER QUOTES

Katie Archibald said: “I’m looking forward to returning to the UCI Track Champions League. The back-to-back racing is intense, but like everybody else, I’m here to win. I see this series as vital preparation for the Olympics next year, it’ll allow me to practice different tactics and stay on top form.”

Dylan Bibic said: “The UCI Track Champions League is my main goal for the remainder of the year and I want to win the blue jersey. I managed to win one race last year but I definitely want more than that this season, to get more victories and be right in the hunt for the overall title. The series is as much about strategy and decision making as it is physical ability – and last year I think I lacked in that regard. I was too conservative with my approach, and I want redemption for that in 2023.”

Emma Finucane said: “I’m super excited to be back at the UCI Track Champions League. Last year it really helped me step up by racing regularly against Olympic and UCI World Champions, and I’m especially looking forward to competing in front of a home crowd again in London on the 10th and 11th November.”

Claudio Imhof said: “I'm excited to race in the UCI Track Champions League again. The music, light show, and fans make it amazing. Defending my title won't be easy, but I won't stress myself. Winning last year was definitely one of my career highlights. The series is elevating track cycling to new levels. I cannot wait.”

Harrie Lavreysen said: “I'm looking forward to racing in the UCI Track Champions League for my third season. I've had a great build-up phase in the last few months, and I'm hoping to come in with good form. It’s going to be great.”

Kelsey Mitchell said: “I’m delighted to be on the roster for the third season of the UCI Track Champions League and the excitement around it is just incredible. I’m looking forward to seeing where I’m at with my form because it’s been a rollercoaster year so far. For me, the best training is racing, and the calibre of rider I’ll be up against this year is very high. I want to do my best and I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Matthew Richardson said: “I’m really looking forward to racing my bike again at the UCI Track Champions League, having fun and trying to learn as much as I can. Obviously, I’d love to defend my Men’s Sprint title, and that’s my goal, but it’s such a competitive field that I’d be happy with a podium. The series is such important preparation for the Olympics, especially with the back-to-back racing and three-rider heats, you can’t replicate that anywhere else against the best riders in the world. I can’t wait to get going.”

Anita Stenberg said: “I’m looking forward to four weeks of good, intensive racing against some of the best Endurance athletes in the world. Last season I just missed out on a podium finish, so I want to achieve that this year, and hopefully win some races along the way. I’m looking forward to feeling the energy from the crowds as well, as this series is brilliant at highlighting how beautiful and exciting track cycling is.”

AMBASSADOR QUOTES

Sir Chris Hoy said: “There was a big step forward from season one to season two of the UCI Track Champions League and I’m expecting a similar progression for this year. There’s always someone that bursts through and puts pressure on the established stars, like Matthew Richardson did last year, and there are so many new names coming onto the scene with the 2024 Paris Olympic Games just around the corner, the 2023 season is going to be electric.”

Kristina Vogel said: “I really love the UCI Track Champions League. This year is only the third season so we’re still trying to get better and better and better, and I’m jealous I’m not competing anymore. The punchy three hours of racing is great for the audience because it’s bam-bam-bam, win win win, and doing that over four weeks can be hard for the riders, but it’s something they get used to, so it’s a win-win for everyone.”

RACE PROGRAMME

The televised race schedule is as follows:

17:30 CEST: Live digital broadcast starts
Sprint / Men / First Round
Sprint / Women / First Round

18:30 CEST: Live broadcast starts
Scratch / Men
Sprint / Men / Semi Finals
Sprint / Women / Semi Finals
Scratch / Women
Sprint / Men / Final
Sprint / Women / Final
Elimination / Men
Keirin / Women / First Round
Keirin / Men / First Round
Elimination / Women
Keirin / Women / Final
Keirin / Men / Final
21:00 CEST: Live broadcast ends

WHERE TO WATCH

The 2023 UCI Track Champions League will be broadcast across Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports, entertainment, and free-to-air platforms, as well as via numerous official broadcast partners.

Every second of the series will be screened live, uninterrupted and ad-free across the globe on discovery+*, GCN+, and the Eurosport App, with the main events of every round also being shown live on Eurosport 1 International, and across 12 Asian countries via Eurosport World, in multiple language options.

In addition to that, the series will also be broadcast live on the following channels:
• Australia – SBS
• China – Zhibo
• France - L’Équipe (Round 3 only)
• Germany – Eurosport 1 Germany
• Greece - ERT
• Italy - Rai Sport
• Japan – Speed Channel
• Latin America – Claro Sports
• Middle East & North Africa - Starzplay
• Netherlands - RTL7
• New Zealand – Sky
• Spain - RTVE
• Spain (Balearic Islands only) - FibwiTV (Round 1 only)
• Sub-Saharan Africa – Supersports
• Switzerland - SRG (one round only)
• Ukraine – UAPBC

Highlights will also be aired on the following channels in order to reach the widest-possible audience:
• Belgium - RTBF
• Denmark - 6’Eren
• Finland - Kutonen
• Norway - Max
• Sweden - Kanal 9
• UK - Quest

Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage will be supplemented by a 30-minute preview show as excitement builds ahead of the evening’s action, with 30 minutes of analysis and rider interviews rounding off each broadcast after the racing has concluded.

*Streaming is available on discovery+ in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Ireland.

GAME-CHANGING APP

The new-and-improved UCI Track Champions League app will provide a game-changing experience during the 2023 season.

Powered by Official Cloud Infrastructure Provider AWS, the app delivers an elevated race experience with access to exclusive live data and onboard cameras which provide a whole host of unique insights.

New features include an expanded Fan Zone where supporters can make predictions and compete head-to-head in special quests and challenges.

The Cheer a Rider feature gives the opportunity for fans to get behind their favourite athletes, who will also win prizes at the end of the season for the amount of support they achieve. 

If that wasn't enough, the app provides access to a host of live onboard camera feeds, while the Race Live Mode delivers live power, speed, heart rate and cadence data at the push of a button. Side-by-side comparisons between two competing athletes are also available.

Pushing the Feel Heartbeat button, users can feel the live heartbeat of any athlete in the palm of their hand using their smartphone’s vibrate function. Be it a nervous 130 beats per minute on the start line or a rapid 200bpm with one lap to go, this unique feature gives viewers unprecedented insight into world-class athletes’ performances.

The app’s game-changing features do not stop there; it also acts as a central information hub for the series. Users can view riders’ profiles with key physiological information, league results, standings and palmares's all present. In addition, race results and standings, round info and the latest league news are all also available.
 
And users can also ensure they never miss a moment of the action courtesy of push notification reminders delivered when their favourite rider is on track, or when a particular race is about to start.

The UCI Track Champions League app is now available to download for free on the App Store or the Google Play Store. 

ABOUT THE VELÒDROM ILLES BALEARS

The Velòdrom Illes Balears, located in the cycling paradise of Mallorca, Spain,  is a flagship velodrome in Europe. The 6000-capacity venue has been chosen to host the super launch of the UCI Track Champions League season for the third time in a row, and has been host to some incredible action in the previous two seasons. In 2021, Corbin Strong (New Zealand) was the standout performer, winning both Men’s Endurance events. Meanwhile, big names such as Harrie Lavreysen (the Netherlands), Katie Archibald (Great Britain) and Mathilde Gros (France) all triumphed there in 2022.

The track measures 250m in length and 7m in width, featuring 43-degree corners and 15-degree banking on its straights. 

THE SPORTING FORMAT

The UCI Track Champions League follows a league format with a consistent race programme in every round. Riders earn points in either the Sprint or Endurance category throughout the five rounds.

In each category, there are two types of races where competitors can gather points: Sprinters will race in both Sprint and Keirin races, while Endurance riders compete in both Elimination and Scratch races.

A total of 72 riders, with an equal number of males and females, participate in the league, with 18 riders in each category.

The Sprint Category races:
 
Sprint: The Sprint race will see the first rider to cross the finish line after three laps of the track win. The first round will comprise six heats of three riders going head-to-head, with the six winners progressing on to the semifinals. Two heats of three riders will then determine the final two competitors to go for the win.

Keirin: The Keirin race is a mass start sprint over five laps. The first two laps of the track will be behind a Derny motorcycle to set the pace, leaving riders to sprint to the finish over the remaining three. Six riders will take part in three heats, with the top two riders qualifying for the final. In the final, six riders will compete for victory.
 
The Endurance category races:
 
Elimination: In the Elimination race the last rider across the finish line in every other lap will be eliminated from the race. The first lap will be a neutral lap and all 18 riders take part from the start.

Scratch: The classic Scratch race will be contested over a relatively short distance of 5 km and see high-speed action from the start. All 18 riders will be vying for a podium position over 20 laps of the 250m track.
 
POINTS AND RIDER RANKINGS

Rankings within the UCI Track Champions League will be determined by points allocated to riders from their performance in each race. Points will accrue in a ranking table and the overall winner in each of the categories will be the rider with the most points at the end of the series. 

At the end of each round, the current leader will be awarded the UCI Track Champions League leader’s jersey to wear at the next round.