PREVIEW: UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HEADS TO BERLIN FOR ROUND 2

Tomorrow, the world's best track cyclists will descend on Berlin for Round 2 of the 2023 UCI Track Champions League.

After the blockbuster opening round in Mallorca, Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (Germany), Eiya Hashimoto (Japan) and Katie Archibald (Great Britain) were the first riders to be awarded the blue leaders' jerseys after sweeping to top of their respective standings.

Lavreysen (Netherlands) got off to the perfect start by winning both Men's Sprint events (Sprint and Keirin). Archibald (Great Britain) took second place in the Women's Scratch before going one better in the Elimination, opening up a two-point lead in the Women's Endurance league, while Pröpster and Hashimoto both enjoyed dream debuts, winning one race each (the Sprint and Scratch respectively) to top the Women's Sprint and Men's Endurance competitions.

Pröpster's defence of her blue jersey will definitely be buoyed by plenty of home support, and Theo Reinhardt is also expected to be given a hero's welcome by the patriotic German crowd after being forced to abandon Round 1 through injury in Spain.

Colombian riders Martha Bayona and Kevin Quintero will not participate in Round 2 as they will be competing at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile this week. Additionally, Sebastián Mora (Spain) will not race due to an injury. All those riders are expected to return for Round 3 in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and we wish Sebastián a speedy recovery.

Click HERE to read about how Round 1 of the UCI Track Champions League played out.

Here is all the key information heading into Round 2: 

RIDERS TO WATCH

Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand)
Alessa-Catriona Pröpster stole the Women's Sprint headlines in Mallorca and will now be on everyone's radar as she heads into her home round, but Ellesse Andrews also made a very strong UCI Track Champions League debut. The 23-year-old New Zealander was knocked out in the semi-finals of the Sprint by Pröpster and Martha Bayona (Colombia) but battled back to claim a convincing victory in the Keirin - an event where she is the reigning UCI World Champion. As she learns the intricacies of the UCI Track Champions League's quickfire race format, we think she'll be right up there again in Berlin.

Theo Reinhardt (Germany)
The two-time UCI World Champion endured a difficult first UCI Track Champions League appearance in Mallorca, finishing 15th in the Men's Scratch race and then suffering a bad crash in the Elimination which prematurely ended his night. It remains to be seen how much the injuries sustained in that tumble will hamper Reinhardt's performance in Berlin, but the 33-year-old Berliner will be giving it everything he's got to perform in front of his family and friends.

Matthew Richardson (Australia)
Harrie Lavreysen dominated the Men's Sprint competition in Mallorca, and that must have hurt defending champion Matthew Richardson, who repeatedly went toe-to-toe with him last season. The 24-year-old Australian was knocked out of the Sprint at the semi-final stage by Lavreysen, and could only manage third place in the Keirin final, so he will definitely be looking to reassert his authority in the German capital. 

Lily Williams (USA)
Lily Williams managed to ride Katie Archibald off her wheel to win the Women's Scratch race, which is no mean feat, and then finished a highly respectable third in the Elimination. It will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old American fares in Round 2 as she'll be determined not to let Archibald's lead at the top of the Women's Endurance standings grow any further. 

Click HERE for the full list of riders who will be competing in the 2023 UCI Track Champions League.

QUOTES

Women's Sprint leader Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (Germany) said: ”I’m very excited to race in Berlin wearing the leader’s jersey. As we head into Round 2 I am a little nervous. I’ll be on the track in front of my home crowd and my friends will be watching, but it’ll be a special atmosphere. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Men's Sprint leader Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) said: “I am really happy with how the UCI Track Champions League season has started this year. Heading into Round 2 in Berlin I feel really good. I am not thinking too much about my rivals or points right now, I’ll take it race-by-race, but it’s going to be great.”

Women's Endurance leader Katie Archibald (Great Britain) said: “I’m heading into Round 2 feeling optimistic that I can repeat my two wins from Season 2 of the UCI Track Champions League. Berlin is an incredible city to visit and the velodrome is one of my favourites. The track is really nice to ride on and I always feel good here. As they say 'happy head, fast legs', so I’m looking forward to it.”

Men's Endurance leader Eiya Hashimoto (Japan) said: "This is my first UCI Track Champions League and I’m really enjoying it. The crowds are great and there is an amazing camaraderie between the riders. I’m very excited to race in Berlin this weekend. Holding the leader's jersey means a lot to me, and I’m feeling very confident that I can defend it throughout the season and win.”

UCI Track Champions League ambassador, and 11-time UCI World Champion, Kristina Vogel said: "I was incredibly proud when the UCI Track Champions League made it to Berlin last season, and I can't wait to see the series return there on Saturday. Having Alessa-Catriona in the blue leader's jersey will definitely provide an added layer of interest for the German supporters, and seeing how Theo is able to battle back from his crash in Mallorca will also be interesting from a local interest perspective."

Florian Pavia, Series Director of the UCI Track Champions League, said: "After the fantastic start to the 2023 series in Mallorca, we're delighted to be returning to Berlin, where we first visited last season. It is a city with a rich history of track cycling, and in 2022 it played host to some incredible action. The German fans are always very knowledgeable and they really get behind the riders, and it's an ideal scenario having a new, homegrown star like Alessa-Catriona Pröpster leading the Women's Sprint competition in front of her home crowd. I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the next chapter in the 2023 series plays out." 

RACE PROGRAMME

The televised race schedule is as follows:

17:30 CEST: Live digital broadcast starts
Sprint / Men / First Round
Sprint / Women / First Round

18:30 CEST: Live broadcast starts
Scratch / Men
Sprint / Men / Semi Finals
Sprint / Women / Semi Finals
Scratch / Women
Sprint / Men / Final
Sprint / Women / Final
Elimination / Men
Keirin / Men / First Round
Keirin / Women / First Round
Elimination / Women
Keirin / Men / Final
Keirin / Women / Final
21:00 CEST: Live broadcast ends

WHERE TO WATCH

The 2023 UCI Track Champions League will be broadcast across Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports, entertainment, and free-to-air platforms, as well as via numerous official broadcast partners.

Every second of the series will be screened live, uninterrupted and ad-free across the globe on discovery+*, GCN+, and the Eurosport App, with the main events of every round also being shown live on Eurosport 1 International, and across 12 Asian countries via Eurosport World, in multiple language options.

In addition to that, the series will also be broadcast live on the following channels:
• Australia – SBS
• Canada – CBC
• China – Zhibo
• France - L’Équipe (Round 3 only)
• Germany – Eurosport 1 Germany
• Greece - ERT
• Italy - Rai Sport
• Japan – Speed Channel
• Latin America – Claro Sports
• Middle East & North Africa - Starzplay
• Netherlands - RTL7
• New Zealand – Sky
• Spain - RTVE
• Sub-Saharan Africa – Supersports
• Ukraine – UAPBC

Highlights will also be aired on the following channels in order to reach the widest-possible audience:
• Belgium - RTBF
• Denmark - 6’Eren
• Finland - Kutonen
• Norway - Max
• Sweden - Kanal 9
• UK - Quest

Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage will be supplemented by a 30-minute preview show as excitement builds ahead of the evening’s action, with 30 minutes of analysis and rider interviews rounding off each broadcast after the racing has concluded.

*Streaming is available on discovery+ in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Ireland.

GAME-CHANGING APP

The new-and-improved UCI Track Champions League app will provide a game-changing experience during the 2023 season.

Powered by Official Cloud Infrastructure Provider AWS, the app delivers an elevated race experience with access to exclusive live data and onboard cameras which provide a whole host of unique insights.

New features include an expanded Fan Zone where supporters can make predictions and compete head-to-head in special quests and challenges.

The Cheer a Rider feature gives the opportunity for fans to get behind their favourite athletes, who will also win prizes at the end of the season for the amount of support they achieve. 

If that wasn't enough, the app provides access to a host of live onboard camera feeds, while the Race Live Mode delivers live power, speed, heart rate and cadence data at the push of a button. Side-by-side comparisons between two competing athletes are also available.

Pushing the Feel Heartbeat button, users can feel the live heartbeat of any athlete in the palm of their hand using their smartphone’s vibrate function. Be it a nervous 130 beats per minute on the start line or a rapid 200bpm with one lap to go, this unique feature gives viewers unprecedented insight into world-class athletes’ performances.

The app’s game-changing features do not stop there; it also acts as a central information hub for the series. Users can view riders’ profiles with key physiological information, league results, standings and palmares's all present. In addition, race results and standings, round info and the latest league news are all also available.
 
And users can also ensure they never miss a moment of the action courtesy of push notification reminders delivered when their favourite rider is on track, or when a particular race is about to start.

The UCI Track Champions League app is now available to download for free on the App Store or the Google Play Store. 

ABOUT THE BERLIN VELODROM

The Berlin Velodrom – situated in the Prenzlauer Berg locality of the German capital – is back for the second consecutive season of the UCI Track Champions League. Last season saw a thrilling night of action there as Great Britain’s Katie Archibald sealed back-to-back victories in the Women’s Elimination events, Australian Matthew Richardson and Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen went head-to-head in both Men’s Sprint finals, while Oliver Wood (Great Britain), Dylan Bibic (Canada), Mathilde Gros (France) and Kelsey Mitchell (Canada) also triumphed on a night of intense competition.

The venue has a capacity to hold up to 6,000 fans and was completed in 1997. From the outside, the spectacular, wood-panelled exterior makes it one of the most unique roof structures in Europe. It was at this velodrome, during the 2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Championships, where Discovery and the UCI signed an eight-year partnership to organise the UCI Track Champions League.

THE SPORTING FORMAT

The UCI Track Champions League follows a league format with a consistent race programme in every round. Riders earn points in either the Sprint or Endurance category throughout the five rounds.

In each category, there are two types of races where competitors can gather points: Sprinters will race in both Sprint and Keirin races, while Endurance riders compete in both Elimination and Scratch races.

A total of 72 riders, with an equal number of males and females, participate in the league, with 18 riders in each category.

The Sprint Category races:
 
Sprint: The Sprint race will see the first rider to cross the finish line after three laps of the track win. The first round will comprise six heats of three riders going head-to-head, with the six winners progressing on to the semifinals. Two heats of three riders will then determine the final two competitors to go for the win.

Keirin: The Keirin race is a mass start sprint over five laps. The first two laps of the track will be behind a Derny motorcycle to set the pace, leaving riders to sprint to the finish over the remaining three. Six riders will take part in three heats, with the top two riders qualifying for the final. In the final, six riders will compete for victory.
 
The Endurance category races:
 
Elimination: In the Elimination race the last rider across the finish line in every other lap will be eliminated from the race. The first lap will be a neutral lap and all 18 riders take part from the start.

Scratch: The classic Scratch race will be contested over a relatively short distance of 5 km and see high-speed action from the start. All 18 riders will be vying for a podium position over 20 laps of the 250m track.
 
POINTS AND RIDER RANKINGS

Rankings within the UCI Track Champions League will be determined by points allocated to riders from their performance in each race. Points will accrue in a ranking table and the overall winner in each of the categories will be the rider with the most points at the end of the series. 

At the end of each round, the current leader will be awarded the UCI Track Champions League leader’s jersey to wear at the next round.