UCI Track Champions League 2021 - ‘It's definitely what track cycling needs!’ – Laura Kenny on new era of track cycling

Laura Kenny says that the inaugural UCI Track Champions League is “definitely what track cycling needs” ahead of the first round in Mallorca.

The 29-year-old is a five-time Olympic gold medallist and, while she won’t be racing at the inaugural event, will be offering unparalleled insight as an analyst across Discovery’s platforms. Ahead of the Mallorca round, she told Orla Chennaoui that the event should serve to keep track cycling at the forefront of people’s minds.

“I think it's incredible that an event has been put on so fast,” said Kenny.

“It's definitely what track cycling needs. You know, we've had the Olympics and that always puts cycling to the front of people's minds. But then it's how you keep the public engaged with that. And I think having an event like this is how you do it.

“It is easier to follow, because there's not a million races and a million different disciplines that you have to understand.

Track cycling, Kenny adds, has lots of eyes trained on it during the Olympic window, but it has previously struggled to sustain that interest due to a lack of TV coverage outside of that period.

“The Olympics are brilliant,” she begins.

“Sustaining the [Team GB] medal tally almost relies on us [track cycling] at the minute. So, [the general public are] like: ‘Oh, we will watch cycling because they get lots of medals’. And then we disappear, even though we do have the worlds. It's such a shame that track cycling is not on telly more, like all the time for people to see, because it's an incredible sport.

Coverage of the inaugural UCI Track Champions League season on Discovery platforms across Europe will feature some of the most distinguished names in the sport. discovery+*, Eurosport, Eurosport.com (premium subscribers) and GCN+ will broadcast live coverage from each of the five rounds of the brand news series set to feature 72 of the best track cyclists in the world.

Pan-European coverage of the UCI Track Champions League reads as a ‘who’s-who’ in the world of track cycling with a raft of Olympic medallists and world champions part of Discovery’s unrivalled team of experts. The highly-respected Chennaoui will front each round with six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy and double Olympic gold medallist Kristina Vogel offering their expert analysis to millions of cycling fans worldwide throughout the three hours of live coverage.

Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny – the most decorated Olympic couple in track cycling history with an astonishing 12 gold medals between them – will be at the velodrome for each round behind the microphone offering their insights as the drama unfolds throughout the evening.

Discovery’s coverage of the series won’t be limited to the live action in the velodrome with Eurosport’s weekly programme – The Cycling Show – previewing upcoming events and looking back at the best of the UCI Track Champions League while Eurosport.com will offer the latest news and views from the exciting new concept. In addition to the analysis via dedicated cycling platform, Global Cycling Network, Discovery will ensure fans have a full 360-degree vantage point of the UCI Track Champions League with every key story from every round told.

The 2021 series takes place over five rounds across four countries

*discovery+ is available in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom.

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The UCI Track Champions League is coming and you can watch all of the action live on the Eurosport app, eurosport.co.uk and discovery+. Find out more about the "mind-blowing" new era for track cycling, with the first event on November 6 in Mallorca.