UCI Track Champions League 2021 – 2 – Lithuania

November 27, 2021

UCI Track Champions League 2021 – 2 – Lithuania – Cido Arena

The Track Champions League (TCL) is a brand new event looking to revolutionise and revive the sport of track cycling. With a focus on fast-paced, easy-to-understand races, this event is perfect for newcomers to the sport, as well as diehard fans. The league comprises five international rounds held over five action-packed weeks. Each round/competition sees 36 men and 36 women racing against one another in four different events, two Endurance races and two Sprint races. Riders earn points through their results in these events. Points accumulate over the five weeks and, at the end, those with the most will be declared the winners of their respective Sprint League or Endurance League. Whatsmore, prize money for both men and women across the competitions is equal!

Event 1 Women’s Sprint – First Round (6 Heats of 3 Riders)
Event 2 men’s Keirin – First Round (3 Heats of 6 Riders)
Event 3 men’s Scratch (20 Laps)
Event 4 Women’s Sprint – Semi-finals (2 Heats of 3 Riders)
Event 5 men’s Keirin – Final (Final of 6 Riders)
Event 6 Women’s Scratch (20 Laps)
Event 7 Women’s Sprint – Final (Final of 2 Riders)
Event 8 men’s Sprint – First Round (6 Heats of 3 Riders)
Event 9 men’s Elimination (Elimination Every 2 Laps)
Event 10 Women’s Keirin – First Round (3 Heats of 6 Riders)
Event 11 men’s Sprint – Semi-finals (2 Heats of 3 Riders)
Event 12 Women’s Elimination (Elimination Every 2 Laps)
Event 13 Women’s Keirin – Final (Final of 6 Riders)
Event 14 men’s Sprint – Final (Final of 2 Riders)

Scratch
Like the men’s event, the women’s Scratch Race also offered the 18-rider field 20 laps. Katie Archibald (Great Britian) wore the special kit as the overal leader of the women’s endurance category. After a falsh start, the women lined up again with nine riders on either side of the track along the railing and the blue band.

Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) led the field through the first lap but by five laps in Archibald attacked to go solo. Wild went on the chase to close down the gap and did so with 11 laps to go. Karolina Karasiewicz (Poland) was the next to attack and four more bridged across, but with four laps to go, it was all back together. Archibald then led the field through the bell lap and held on for the victory, as Maggie Coles-Lyster (Canada) finished second and Yumi Kajihara (Japan) in third.

“It was quite scary at the end because there were so many attacks going in. It feels good to extend my lead, yes, a bit less pressure for the high pressure one – the elimination,” Archibald said.

Elimination
The women’s Elimination Race saw 18 riders competing for the honours whereby one rider was eliminated from the race on every other lap and the last two riders left on the track sprinted for the victory.

Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) was, unluckily, the first to be eliminated after unclipping from her pedal on the first bell sprint. Silvia Zinardi (Italy) attacked with three laps to go but was caught and was the last rider eliminated.

Archibald further added to her overall standings in the women’s endurance after taking the win in a long-range sprint ahead of Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway).

Women’s Endurance Standings
1 Katie Archibald (United Kingdom) 73
2 Maggie Coles-Lyster (Canada) 60
3 Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway) 50
4 Annette Edmondson (Australia) 47
5 Olivija Baleisyte (Lithuania) 44
6 Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) 35
7 Silvia Zanardi (Italy) 32
8 Yumi Kajihara (Japan) 28
9 Maria Martins (Portugal) 26
10 Emily Kay (Ireland) 22
11 Hanna Tserakh (Belarus) 22
12 Tania Calvo (Spain) 18
13 Kendall Ryan (United States of America) 18
14 Michelle Andres (Switzerland) 15
15 Karolina Karasiewicz (Poland) 11
16 Eukene Larrarte (Spain) 10
17 Alžbeta Bačíková (Slovakia) 7
18 Gulnaz Khatuntseva (Russia) 6

Scratch
The men’s Scratch Race offered the 18-rider field 20 laps. The field largely stayed together and it was Rhys Britton (Great Britain) who led the race into the final lap.

He put forth a massive surge and looked as though he could hang onto the lead, however, he was pipped at the line by winner Sebastian Mora (Spain). Gavin Hoover (USA) finished in third place.

Elimination
Eighteen riders competed for the honours in the men’s Elimination Race with one rider was knocked out from the race every other lap.

The event is all about position and half way through the race men’s endurance overall leader Corbin Strong (Great Britain) was caught down on the blue band, blocked in with no where to go, and subsequently eliminated.

Aaron Gate (New Zealand) led Sebastian Mora (Spain) through the last lap but it was Mora who took the sprint win.

“In the Elimination I tried to spend all of the time at the front to control the other riders. In the sprint it was very, very hard but my feelings here in Lithuania are very, very good. The people of Lithuania are fantastic,” Mora said. “It feels great to win two out of two. It’s very difficult to win two races in one day. It’s a good day for me and I will try to continue this feeling for the next race. I think it will be difficult to win every time but for me it’s perfect.”

Men’s Scratch Race Final
1 Sebastian Mora (Spain)
2 Rhys Britton (Great Britain)
3 Gavin Hoover (United States of America)
4 Kelland O’Brien (Australia)
5 Claudio Imhof (Switzerland)
6 Michele Scartezzini (Italy)
7 Alan Banaszek (Poland)
8 Corbin Strong (New Zealand)
9 Iuri Leitao (Portugal)
10 Kazushige Kuboki (Japan)
11 Ed Clancy (Great Britain)
12 Aaron Gate (New Zealand)
13 Roy Eefting (Netherlands)
14 Jules Hesters (Belgium)
15 Erik Martorell Haga (Spain)
16 Rotem Tene (Israel)
17 Yacine Chalel (Algeria)
DNS Tuur Dens (Belgium)

Men’s Elimination Race Final
1 Sebastian Mora (Spain)
2 Aaron Gate (New Zealand)
3 Kelland O’Brien (Australia)
4 Michele Scartezzini (Italy)
5 Gavin Hoover (United States Of America)
6 Kazushige Kuboki (Japan)
7 Corbin Strong (New Zealand)
8 Jules Hesters (Belgium)
9 Iuri Leitao (Portugal)
10 Roy Eefting (Netherlands)
11 Rhys Britton (Great Britain)
12 Rotem Tene (Israel)
13 Claudio Imhof (Switzerland)
14 Alan Banaszek (Poland)
15 Erik Martorell Haga (Spain)
16 Yacine Chalel (Algeria)
17 Ed Clancy (Great Britain)
DNS Tuur Dens (Belgium)

Men’s Endurance Standings
1 Sebastian Mora (Spain) 59
2 Corbin Strong (New Zealand) 57
3 Gavin Hoover (United States Of America) 53
4 Iuri Leitao (Portugal) 44
5 Aaron Gate (New Zealand) 41
6 Kelland O’Brien (Australia) 40
7 Rhys Britton (Great Britain) 38
8 Kazushige Kuboki (Japan) 32
9 Michele Scartezzini (Italy) 30
10 Roy Eefting (Netherlands) 29
11 Alan Banaszek (Poland) 27
12 Jules Hesters (Belgium) 17
13 Erik Martorell Haga (Spain) 17
14 Claudio Imhof (Switzerland) 14
15 Rotem Tene (Israel) 9
16 Ed Clancy (Great Britain) 6
17 Yacine Chalel (Algeria) 6
18 Tuur Dens (Belgium) 5

Sprint
The racing opened with First Round of the Women’s Sprint that offered six heats of three riders each where the winners moved onto the Semi-Finals. The winners of two semi-final heats then moved onto the finals; Hinze, who came into round 2 leading the overall standings in the women’s sprint category, and Genest faced off for the win.

Hinze and Genest lined up side-by-side on the track to contest the final round for the victory. Hinze took the early lead and looked over her shoulder at the Canadian. Two laps to go, Hinze picked up her speed and carried it through to the finish line for the win.

“It was hard racing tonight, the same as in Mallorca. I’m exhausted. The crowd is great – it’s a great place to ride. It feels good to extend my lead in the category and I’m proud to win this one again,” Hinze said after the victory.

Keirin
The women’s Keirin opened with the first round of three heats of six riders whereby the top two of each heat moved onto the final round of the top six riders: Emma Hinze and Lea Friedrich (Germany), Kelsey Mitchell (Canada), Laurine van Riessen (Netherlands), Riyu Ohta (Japan) and Martha Bayona Pineda (Colombia).

The derny set off with Friedrich tucking in behind and as the motor swung off the women saw three laps to go. Friedrich remained out front ahead of her compatriot Hinze with Mitchell making her move on the last lap.

However, it was Friedrich who took the win, unchallenged, ahead of Hinze and Mitchell.

Women’s Sprint Standings
1 Emma Hinze (Germany) 74
2 Lea Friedrich (Germany) 56
3 Kelsey Mitchell (Canada) 50
4 Martha Bayona Pineda (Colombia) 36
5 Lauriane Genest (Canada) 36
6 Shanne Braspennincx (Netherlands) 34
7 Mathilde Gros (France) 34
8 Yana Tyshchenko (Russia) 31
9 Olena Starikova (Ukraine) 28
10 Simona Krupeckaitė (Lithuania) 23
11 Miriam Vece (Italy) 22
12 Mina Sato (Japan) 22
13 Laurine van Riessen (Netherlands) 20
14 Yuli Verdugo (Mexico) 17
15 Riyu Ohta (Japan) 17
16 Anastasiia Voinova (Russia) 15
17 Daria Shmeleva (Russia) 5
18 Sophie Capewell (Great Britain) 4

Sprint
The Men’s Sprint kicked off with six heats of three riders each where the winners moved onto the Semi-Finals of two heats of three riders each. The winners of these heats faced each other in the finals between Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) and Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago).

The final between Paul and Lavreysen closed out the event. Lavreysen took the lead and then slowed, foring he and Paul into a track stand. Paul jumped and gained a gap, and though it looked like he might take the win, Lavreysen just passed him at the line.

“I think Nicholas Paul had a great ride, he surprised me. I felt like I could just get him at the end so I was really happy to still win. For sure the other riders can challenge me. A lot of them can. But for now, I’m on top and it feels good, very good,” Lavreysen said.

Keirin
The men’s Keirin opened with the First Round of three heats of six riders whereby the top two of each heat moved onto the final round that featured the top six riders: Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), who was leading the overall standings in the men’s sprint category, Ryan Helal (France), Stefan Botticher (Germany), Vasilijus Lendel (Lithuania), Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands) and Denis Dmitriev (Russia).

Hoogland tucked in behind the derny and looked back at his comptetitors once the motor pulled off the front. Although the Dutchman lost a place or two, he managed to make up some ground but only enough to finish second place behind his compatriot and winner Lavreyssen, while Botticher finished third.

Men’s Sprint Standings
1 Harrie Lavreysen (United Kingdon) 77
2 Stefan Bötticher (Germany) 59
3 Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands) 47
4 Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago) 41
5 Mikhail Yakovlev (Russia) 34
6 Vasilijus Lendel (Lithuania) 32
7 Kevin Santiago Quintero Chavarro (Colombia) 31
8 Denis Dmitriev (Russia) 30
9 Rayan Helal (France) 28
10 Mateusz Rudyk (Poland) 24
11 Hugo Barrette (Canada) 20
12 Jai Angsuthasawit (Thailand) 19
13 Tom Derache (France) 18
14 Jair Tjon En Fa (Suriname) 17
15 Kento Yamasaki (Japan) 15
16 Jordan Castle (New Zealand) 15
17 Jean Spies (South Africa) 9
18 Maximilian Levy (Germany) 8