'Vital for my Olympics preparations' - Katie Archibald and Emma Finucane set for UCI Track Champions League
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Updated 28/09/2023 at 11:08 GMT
Katie Archibald and Emma Finucane will both be taking part in this year's UCI Track Champions League alongside New Zealander Ellesse Andrews, Neah Evans, Sophie Capewell and Martha Bayona. Round 1 begins in Mallorca on Saturday, October 21, while the Grand Finale takes place at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London on Saturday, November 11. All the action will be shown live on discovery+.
'Sensational scenes' - UCI Track Champions League 2022 trophy ceremony
Katie Archibald and Emma Finucane are among six female medallists from the recent UCI Cycling World Championships confirmed to take part in the 2023 UCI Track Champions League.
Last month in Glasgow, Finucane won gold and silver in the sprint and team sprint respectively, while Archibald won gold in the team pursuit.
They are joined by Neah Evans, who claimed gold in the Madison, while Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand, who took gold in the keirin, will make her debut in the series.
Meanwhile, Sophie Capewell returns to the competition after winning silver in the team sprint for Great Britain, while Colombian keirin silver medallist Martha Bayona is back again after winning two races in last year’s series.
“I’m really looking forward to the back-to-back racing which the UCI Track Champions League provides, and just like everybody else, I want to win,” said Archibald.
“The best riders in the world will be taking part and every one of them has a realistic chance of becoming the champion, and I want to be in the mix. The series is vital for my Olympics preparations as well, as it’s an amazing opportunity for me to experiment with my tactics, take risks, and I always aim to be at my best for it.”
Finucane, 20, said: “I’m super excited to be back at the UCI Track Champions League. Last year it really helped me step up by racing regularly against Olympic and UCI World Champions, and I’m especially looking forward to competing in front of a home crowd again in London on the 10th and 11th November.”
How does qualification work?
Riders’ performances at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships are the main qualifying pathway to the UCI Track Champions League. Male and female athletes must achieve at least one of the following criteria for direct qualification:
Sprint
- Top six finish in the sprint
- Top six finish in the keirin
- The highest-ranked UCI sprint riders on August 1st
- The highest-ranked UCI keirin riders on August 1st
- Four wildcards invited at the discretion of the UCI
Endurance
- Podium finish in the elimination
- Podium finish in the omnium
- Podium finish in the scratch
- Podium finish in the points race
- The highest-ranked UCI elimination riders on 1st August
- The highest-ranked UCI scratch riders on 1st August
- Four wildcards invited at the discretion of the UCI
When do the races take place?
- Round 1: Saturday October 21, Mallorca / Velodrom Illes Balears, Spain
- Round 2: Saturday October 28, Berlin / Berlin Velodrom, Germany
- Round 3: Saturday November 4, St-Quentin-en-Yvelines / Velodrome National de St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
- Round 4: Friday November 10, London / Lee Valley VeloPark, UK
- Round 5 / Grand Finale: Saturday November 11, London / Lee Valley VeloPark, UK
What will be announced next?
The first batch of male UCI World Championships medallists will be unveiled soon, with more big names set to be announced before the full rosters for the men’s and women’s sprint, and men’s and women’s endurance line-ups are finalised.
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Stream the 2023 UCI Track Champions League on discovery+.
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