Difficult start: Pauline Grabosch (right) and Lea Sophie Friedrich (left) are in Berlin, defending champion Emma Hinze is missing.
Foto: imago/frontalvision
Why is?
After the 2020 World Championships in Berlin, the world association UCI abolished the World Cups in track cycling and replaced them with two new formats: the Nation Cups and the UCI Track Champions League. In the Champions League there are four winners at the end of the season, because the series is divided into a sprint and an endurance area – for women and men. There is an identical racing program in the five rounds of the 2022 season. The drivers can collect points in each run, and those with the most points are the overall winners. “We welcome this format and see a huge opportunity to establish itself in the medium term as a televised, emotionally charged sport,” says Martin Wolf, Secretary General of the Association of German Cyclists.
When and where do you drive?
The season kicked off on November 12th in Palma de Mallorca. This Saturday, the UCI Track Champions League is coming to Germany for the first time Berliner Velodrom. The caravan then moves on to St. Quentin-en-Yvelines on November 26th – this is where the 2022 world champions were crowned in mid-October. The conclusion is analogous to 2021 with a double event on December 2nd and 3rd in London.
Which disciplines are in the program?
In the sprint, the classic sprint and the keirin are driven. The competition formats are much more compressed than at a World Cup or European Championship – it’s almost run after run, and the races are shorter. A normally tough sprint qualification is dispensed with. The scratch race is also more condensed for the TV and only goes over 20 laps (5 kilometers), normally the men drive 15 and the women 10 kilometers. The second endurance discipline is classic elimination driving.
Who are the stars of the »premier class«?
Olympic champions, world and European champions: Many top drivers are also in the second season. The outstanding athlete among the men is Harrie Lavreysen from the Netherlands. The 25-year-old has been the dominating sprinter in recent years, won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and is now world champion eleven times. Laura Kenny is among the women for the first time. With five gold medals at the Olympic Games, the Briton is one of the most successful athletes in cycling. A total of 72 athletes (36 women, 36 men) from 25 nations are at the start.
Who are the defending champions?
In endurance, 2021’s trophy and cash went to Katie Archibald of Great Britain and Gavin Hoover of the USA. As expected, Harrie Lavreysen won the men’s sprint. The trio is at it again. In the women’s sprint, the premiere success went to Emma Hinze from Cottbus. The defending champion canceled her participation in 2022. “My body is telling me to recharge the batteries. Now the time has come,” said Hinze. The 25-year-old wants to take a break until the European Championships in Switzerland.
Who is there from Germany?
In addition to last year’s second Lea Sophie Friedrich, Pauline Grabosch (both Cottbus) is invited for the first time in the women’s sprint area. Friedrich, who is now seven times world champion, is one of the top favorites for overall victory after her strong performance at the World Cup and made a good start on Mallorca. Lea Lin Teutenberg from Cologne is also making her debut in endurance. Stefan Bötticher is at the start in the men’s sprint. In 2021, the man from Chemnitz was particularly convincing in the keirin and took second place at the premiere. In the men’s endurance category, Moritz Malcharek from Berlin received an invitation. His ticket was the silver medal at the European Championships in Munich in scratch.
How much is the prize money?
500,000 euros in prize money will be distributed. The winners of the four categories each receive 25,000 euros. A race victory, for example, is rewarded with a further 1000 euros. Emma Hinze, as the first champions league winner sprint, brought in 31,050 euros in prize money last season. For comparison: For the victory in the sprint tournament at the European Championships in Munich, there was only 670 euros from the European association UEC.
How important is the competition?
In addition to the prize money, which is high for track cycling, the new series of the world association convinces with two other points. All participants receive points for the UCI rankings and are almost certainly qualified for the next World Championships in August 2023 in Glasgow. Thanks to an eight-year partnership between the UCI and the media giant Discovery Sports, the “mother” of the sports channel Eurosport, as well as a comprehensive social media strategy, the UCI Track Champions League reached a wider public in its first season. All races are broadcast live and free-to-air on TV.
What are the criticisms of the series?
The date is discussed. The series comes shortly after the actual highlight of the season in track cycling, the world championship. Due to the races in November, there is almost a complete lack of endurance professionals from the World Tour this year – they have to prepare for the next road season. Many of the sprinters went on holiday after the World Cup and are not in top form. Especially in the endurance area, the format is also discussed. “If you’re unlucky, you warm up longer than you have competition,” criticizes double world champion Roger Kluge from Ludwigsfelde. The organizers have reacted to the criticism and added a points race outside of the Champions League classification to the race program.
What are the athletes saying??
»The atmosphere at my premiere in Palma de Mallorca was totally cool. It’s a bit like the Sixdays: just looser and more relaxed,” says Teutenberg. The fourth place in the world championship in elimination driving came directly from her break in the season. “It’s not so bad for me that the races are a bit shorter and the stress isn’t that high. I’m already preparing for my next road season,” said the 23-year-old. Bötticher enjoys it and is grateful for the platform that track cycling gets: »Of course it’s completely different from other competitions. There are always only 20 or 25 minutes between races. But that also makes the competition exciting again.« For Friedrich, who came second last year, it is »simply a great show«.
