New qualification system announced for the UCI Track Champions League

Key points:

• The updated system will ensure the highest level of competition and a clear pathway for athletes to qualify through top-tier track competitions that are part of the UCI International Calendar.
• Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand), Harrie Lavreysen (The Netherlands), Dylan Bibic (Canada), and Katie Archibald (UK) are automatically qualified as the 2023 UCI Track Champions League overall winners.
• Seven additional champions have already secured their spots by winning gold medals in their 2024 Continental Championships

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has approved the new qualification criteria for the UCI Track Champions League. Designed to ensure the highest level of competition, the updated system outlines a clear and rigorous pathway for athletes to qualify, emphasizing performance in top-tier track events that are part of the UCI Track International Calendar. 

The UCI Track Champions League is committed to fostering a competitive and transparent selection process. Starting with the 2024 season, athletes can qualify through outstanding results in the following major events:

• Olympic Games
• UCI competitions (various categories)

- Tissot UCI Track World Championships
- Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup rounds
- Previous UCI Track Champions League (overall winners)

• Continental Championships, including:

- UEC Track Elite European Championships
- CAC Track African Championships
- Pan American Track Championships
- Oceania Track Championships
- Asian Track Championships

On top of these primary qualification events, a wild card system, designed to recognize exceptional talent and promote diversity, allows for additional athletes to be included at the discretion of the UCI Track Champions League promoter.

72 ATHLETES: 36 MEN AND 36 WOMEN 

The UCI Track Champions League will feature a total of 72 athletes, divided equally between the Sprint and Endurance Leagues, with 18 male and 18 female athletes in each category.

On top of the riders qualified through their top results in the Olympic Games, the Tissot UCI Track World Championships, Continental Championships, the UCI Track Nations Cup rounds or by lifting the UCI Track Champions League trophy the previous season, a wild card system will be established.

Wild cards will be granted based on exceptional performances in specific events or outstanding achievements as evaluated by the UCI Track Champions League promoter. This includes top results in the Tissot UCI Track World Championships, high UCI individual points rankings, and notable performances in previous UCI Track Champions League editions.

The UCI Track Champions League is committed to maintaining the integrity and competitive spirit of track cycling. The new qualification criteria aim to ensure that only the best athletes compete, providing a thrilling experience for fans and competitors alike. 

The UCI points awarded to UCI Track Champions League participants remain unchanged, as does the prize money: €25,000 for the overall winners (men and women in each category).

UCI President David Lappartient said: “Thanks to the new qualification pathway, we can be sure that the 2024 UCI Track Champions League will be even more representative of the very best track cyclists from the world over. Our different stakeholders contributed to the review of the qualification system which reflects more than ever the depth of talent across the globe. Since its creation in 2021, the UCI Track Champions League has brought the curtain down on the track cycling season in spectacular fashion, and we can only look forward to this year’s edition with the participation of athletes who have proven they are amongst the best thanks to impressive results at events on the UCI Track International Calendar.”

Chris Ball, Vice President of Cycling Events at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, stated: “This new qualifying process is the result of a long period of reflection and debate among all the stakeholders involved in the development of the UCI Track Champions League since its inception: the governing body, the UCI, the global promoter, WBD Sports, but also athletes, National Federations, and local organizers. We are satisfied with the outcome and hope that this new system will grant greater sporting legitimacy to a competition that is already a consolidated benchmark in the international track cycling calendar and will continue attracting the best track cyclists in the world.”

11 CHAMPIONS HAVE ALREADY SECURED THEIR SPOT

By achieving gold medals in their respective continental championships, key names in the international track cycling peloton have secured their spots for the next season of the UCI Track Champions League. With their outstanding performances and results, the following athletes are now qualified and have pre-registered to compete in five back-to-back rounds starting on October 23rd at the Paris 2024 Olympic Vélodrome, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. This will be followed by a double-header at a new venue for the UCI Track Champions League, the Omnisport Apeldoorn in the Netherlands (29-30 October), before heading to the iconic and always sold-out Lee Valley Velodrome, in London, for Round 4 and the Grand Finale on December 6-7.

• Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago): gold in Keirin and Sprint at the 2024 Pan American Track Championships.
• Martha Bayona (Colombia): gold in Keirin at the 2024 Pan American Track Championships.
• Luz Daniela Gaxiola (Mexico): gold in Sprint at the 2024 Pan American Track Championships.
• Emma Finucane (UK): gold in Sprint at the 2024 UEC Track Elite European Championships.
• Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway): gold in Omnium at the 2024 UEC Track Elite European Championships.
• Eiya Hashimoto (Japan): gold in Omnium at the 2024 Asian Track Championships.
• Matthew Richardson (Australia): gold in Keirin and Sprint at the 2024 Oceania Track Championships.

Nicholas Paul said: “After two years of absence, I'm eager to compete against the best track cyclists in the world again. I'm excited to test my skills against my toughest rivals and I'm coming with the intention to give it my all. Winning gold in two events at the 2024 Pan American Track Championships has boosted my confidence, and I believe I can reach my peak performance."

Emma Finucane said: "Last year, my performance in the UCI Track Champions League fell short of my expectations. However, I'm approaching this year with renewed ambition and clear goals. My aim is to win a medal at the Olympic Games this summer and to secure the coveted blue leader's jersey in the UCI Track Champions League this fall."  

Matthew Richardson said: “The UCI Track Champions League brings out the best in me; it's where I consistently challenge myself against my toughest rivals. The rivalry with Harrie Lavreysen continues to be a driving force, but having Nicholas Paul join this year adds an extra level of competitiveness and rivalry that motivates me even further."

Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand), Harrie Lavreysen (The Netherlands), Dylan Bibic (Canada), and Katie Archibald (UK) are already automatically qualified as the 2023 UCI Track Champions League overall winners. 

Since its launch in 2021, the UCI Track Champions League has consolidated its place as one of the ‘Monuments’ of track cycling, sitting alongside the Tissot UCI Track World Championships, Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup and Olympic Games at the very pinnacle of the global racing calendar. The series - organised in partnership between the events division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and the UCI - makes track cycling more accessible and exciting than ever before, elevating the sport to new levels and reaching new audiences in the process.