UCI Track Champions League: Highlights as Archibald and Lavreysen shine

Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (Germany), Eiya Hashimoto (Japan) and Katie Archibald (Great Britain) were the stars of the show in round one of the UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain.

All four riders dominated their respective competitions to leave them atop of the standings and in the leaders’ blue jerseys on a night of high octane racing that included mesmerising performances, and a major crash that left several riders on the floor.

Read more: UCI Track Champions League: How does it work?

Archibald won the women’s Elimination race in fine style before taking second in the Scratch race to put her in the lead of the Women’s Endurance standings, while Lavreysen won both the men’s Keirin and the Sprint event to leave him ten points clear of Tom Derache (France) in the men’s Sprint classification.

"The Sprint final was really good. It was a bit weird having had three riders in the heats and only two of us in the final, and we started pushing a little earlier than usual, which maybe wasn't necessary. The sprint was pretty quick and decided on the last lap, and I was feeling good," said Lavreysen.

"As for the Keirin final, that was a really good, tactical race. I had Kevin [Quintero] in front of me and Matthew [Richardson] behind me, which allowed me to control the race, and I picked the right moment to go. It feels really good to have started like this, without any mistakes, so I am happy. Consistency is key in the UCI Track Champions League so I need to recover well now so I am fresh for Berlin, and focus on that."

Archibald was satisfied with her performances and stated that her aim is to keep on winning through the next set of rounds.

“That was good but tough,” Archibald said after her evening.

“I was expecting some nerves after watching the crash in the men's Elimination because it's the first big crash I've seen in the UCI Track Champions League. Once I got on the track though I was fine, and it was a clean and hard race in front of an amazing crowd. The Elimination is my favourite event so it feels really good to have won it. My aim now is to be consistent in the next rounds."

Archibald’s performances leave her two points clear of Lily Williams (United States of America), with Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway) five points back in third.

In the men’s Endurance competition Hashimoto edged out Mark Stewart (Great Britain) in a sprint after gaining a lap on the field as part of a seven-rider attack. The Japanese rider finished a creditable fifth in the men’s Elimination race, which was won by Dylan Bibic (Canada). The race was overshadowed by a major crash that saw the event briefly stopped.

Hashimoto’s consistency leaves him on 31 points after the first evening of racing, with Bibic in second on 21 points. Tuur Dens (Belgium) is third. In the women’s Sprint races Alessa-Catriona Pröpster took the victory in the Sprint race, before finishing third in the Keirin, which went to Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand).

Click here for full results from round one.

The next round of the UCI Track Champions League takes place in Berlin, Germany on October 28.

When can I watch the Track Champions League on GCN+?

All five rounds of the UCI Track Champions League will be broadcast worldwide, live and ad-free on GCN+, with live shows providing additional analysis and interviews from inside the velodrome. The schedule for the 2023 series is as follows:

• October 21 | Round 1 - Mallorca (Velòdrom Illes Balears)
• October 28 | Round 2 - Berlin (Berlin Velodrom)
• November 4 | Round 3 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Velodrome National de St-Quentin-En-Yvelines)
• November 10 | Round 4 - London (Lee Valley VeloPark)
• November 11 | Round 5 - London (Lee Valley VeloPark)

Head over to GCN+ now to check the broadcast times in your region so you don't miss a minute of the TCL action. Plus, catch up with all the behind-the-scenes action from the 2022 series with our Back on Track documentary series

Katie Archibald

• Team Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling
• Nationality United Kingdom
• Age 30
• UCI Wins 1
• Height 1.78m