UCI Track Champions League: Highlights as Archibald takes victory on home turf

With one night of racing remaining, all four competitions of the 2023 UCI Track Champions League (TCL) are to play for after a thrilling night of racing in the Lee Valley Velodrome, London. The racing will continue for the Grand Finale this evening in London.

• Read more: A multi-million dollar quest to bring track to the masses: the UCI Track Champions League

Harrie Lavreysen is back on top, while Ellesse Andrews clings to Sprint leaders jersey

After being beaten for the first time this series last week, Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) returned to form and out-sprinted Matthew Richardson (Australia) in the Men's Sprint final. On the rivalry between the pair, he said:

"There was a lot that happened in that Sprint final. Matthew [Richardson] wanted a slow start and we ended up swapping places a few times before it kicked off, and in the end it was another close one. After he won this race last week, I definitely wanted to take it back, and it feels really good to have done that."

In the Women's Sprint race, it was all change, as series leader Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand) failed to qualify for the final, allowing Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (Germany) to sprint to victory in the final against Katy Marchant (Great Britain).

Men's Keirin world champion Kevin Quintero (Columbia) claimed his first Keirin victory at the TCL, holding off Richardson and Lavreysen in a thrilling three-way sprint to the line.

In the Women's Keirin, Martha Bayona (Columbia) took victory in the final, making it a two-for-two Keirin victory for Columbia. Flying off the banking ahead of series leader Andrews, she came past in the final straight to take a convincing win.

Overall standings in the Sprint category

The action on the track means that the Sprint classification, which totals points gained in both the Sprint and the Keirin, is still in play both for the Men's and Women's field.

Harrie Lavreysen will go into tonight's final round with 29 points on second-place rider Matthew Richardson.

Ellesse Andrews has just six points separating her from second-place rider, Alessa-Catriona Pröpster. Andrews will have to be on top form to seal overall victory this evening. After last night's racing she said:

"Tonight's been massive. I definitely hoped for more for in the Sprint but I'm really happy with how I performed in the Keirin. I left every little ounce of energy on the track, so I can't be mad about that."

British riders shine in the Endurance category, and Bibic cedes points to rivals

In the Endurance category, in which the riders compete in the Scratch race and Elimination, there was yet another series leader struggling to retain the lead.

Dylan Bibic (Canada) had a bitterly disappointing Elimination race. He was only the fifth rider to be eliminated, leaving him in 13th place. After a fierce battle, it was Willian Tidball (Great Britain) who took the win, beating Jules Hesters (Belgium) to the line much to the delight of the home crowd.

The Women's Elimination was marred by a crash involving most of the field, and only after a delay could the race get underway. Katie Archibald (Great Britain), the home favourite, took a convincing lead, leaving Anita Stenberg (Norway) to take second place.

Archibald retained her position at the top of the Endurance leaderboard, with 12 points separating her from second place going into the final evening of racing.

There was yet another British victory to be had in the Women's Scratch race, in which Dannielle Khan (Great Britain) finished just half a wheel ahead of Lily Williams (USA), thereby claiming her first-ever victory at the UCI Track Champions League.

Overjoyed at her first win of the series, she said:

"I just can't believe I've won. I only just returned to the track before the series started and that meant I made some mistakes in the first rounds. I was determined not to let that happen this week. I'm over the moon that everything has paid off here in front of my family and friends. This isn't just my win, there are so many people that have played a part in this, and I want to thank them all, because without their belief and support, I wouldn't be here."

The Men's Scratch saw a surprise win from Roy Eefting (Netherlands). Much to everyone's amazement, Eefting attacked two laps from home and established a clear break on the bunch, and one that he managed to hold right to the line. Men's Endurance leader Bibic won the sprint for second place.

Men's Endurance leader Dylan Bibic was disappointed with his performance, but is determined to hold onto the jersey through the final round:

"It's not gone well for me tonight but the situation is still salvageable and I'm going to give it my all in Round 5. My performance in the Scratch was acceptable but I made a very noteworthy mistake in the Elimination, so I'll be aiming to put that right."

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