PREVIEW: UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HEADS TO SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES FOR ROUND 3 - SPONSORED BY CIC

This Saturday (4th November) the world's best track cyclists will travel to the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for Round 3 of the 2023 UCI Track Champions League.

Round 2 in Berlin served up some incredible action with Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) continuing his 100% start to the series by winning both Men's Sprint races once again.

Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand) also enjoyed a perfect night in the Women's Sprint, winning both the Sprint and Keirin events to take control of the leader's blue jersey. 

Katie Archibald (Great Britain) meanwhile, extended her advantage at the top of the Women's Endurance standings, and Eiya Hashimoto (Japan) also defended his overall lead in the Men's Endurance competition. Hashimoto is the first rider to lead the overall standings of the men’s Endurance League for two consecutive rounds.

Click HERE to read about how Round 2 of the UCI Track Champions League played out.

Here is all the key information heading into Round 3 which is sponsored by French bank and financial services group CIC (Crédit Industriel et Commercial): 

RIDERS TO WATCH

Tom Derache (France)
While Harrie Lavreysen has been taking the Men's Sprint headlines after the opening two rounds, Tom Derache has been quietly consistent and currently sits third in the overall standings. The 24-year-old finished runner-up to Lavreysen in the Sprint final in Mallorca and then battled to third in the Keirin final in Berlin. Derache has yet to finish a race outside the top five and will no doubt be buoyed by some patriotic home support in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

Dylan Bibic (Canada)
The Men's Endurance competition once again appears to be the most open of the four UCI Track Champions League competitions this season, and if Dylan Bibic can achieve some consistency, he'll be right in the hunt for the blue jersey. The Canadian has already chalked up two victories already this season - winning the Elimination in Mallorca and the Scratch in Berlin - and currently sits second in the standings, three points behind Eiya Hashimoto. 

Emma Finucane (Great Britain)
Emma came into the 2023 Women's Sprint series as one of the big favourites, and while she currently sits third in the standings, we have yet to see her claim her first-ever UCI Track Champions League triumph. The 20-year-old has come close, claiming back-to-back top-three finishes in Sprint, and she'll be going all-out once again to put that right in Round 3.

Lily Williams (USA)
Lily's 10th-placed finish in the Elimination surprised everyone in Berlin, given how dominant she'd been whilst winning the Scratch earlier in the night. The 29-year-old holds a 100% record in that discipline, having also won the Scratch in Mallorca, as she'll be determined to keep the pressure on Katie Archibald at the top of the Women's Endurance competition.

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

QUOTES

Women's Sprint leader Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand) said: "This is my first UCI Track Champions League and I’m loving it. I’m learning a lot as we compete in each round, and that feels really positive. I’ve ridden Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines once before at the UCI World Championships in 2022, so have a feel for the track, but I see every race is a new race in this competition. As we head to Round 3 in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines this weekend, I’m going to apply what I’ve learned and make sure I come in better and stronger."

Men's Sprint leader Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) said: "I couldn’t wish for more on my performance in Season 3 so far. It’s been a dream start. I’m really looking forward to racing in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines this weekend, I’m not really thinking about the points too much, and I’ll take it race-by-race, but I am feeling good. This year, the racing at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines also holds a lot of importance. It’ll be the track for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Having the chance to ride this track one last time before then will be hugely beneficial."

Women's Endurance leader Katie Archibald (Great Britain) said: "I’m feeling good as we go into Round 3 of the UCI Track Champions League. It’s going to be a slightly different challenge compared to last weekend, but it’s one that I’m ready for. After a rocky start to the season, I found my legs in Berlin, so I’m feeling really good ahead of this weekend in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. This race is extremely important in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games too. It’ll be my chance to really learn what works and doesn’t work on the track and be ready."

Men's Endurance leader Eiya Hashimoto (Japan) said: "I am very happy with my result heading into Round 3 in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. My goal is to keep the jersey and win the UCI Track Champions League, but to do that I need to continue the consistency of my performance. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is going to be difficult, so if I can reach the top five in both races I’ll be very happy. My legs are feeling good and I’m looking forward to it. "

Florian Pavia, Series Director of the UCI Track Champions League, said: "The eyes of the track cycling world will be on Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on Saturday as this will be the last chance many of the world's best riders will have to be competing at the Vélodrome National before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which are also being hosted here. The 2023 UCI Track Champions League is also taking shape and we’ve got some great rivalries forming, so I’m sure the action is going to be as exciting as ever and I’m really looking forward to another great night of competition.”

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 historical records 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 VÉLODROME NATIONAL DE SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES

This flagship venue of the French Cycling Federation - the Vélodrome National is located 25 kilometres outside of Paris. It was designed by architect Ralph Schürmann to be one of the fastest velodromes in the world and opened in 2014. The venue can hold up to 5,000 spectators and it has twice hosted the UCI Track World Championships, in 2015 and 2022. The velodrome made its UCI Track Champions League debut last season and will also host the track cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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.

REMAINING RACE CALENDAR:

Round 3: Saturday 4 November, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines / Velodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France - Buy tickets
Round 4: Friday 10 November, London / Lee Valley VeloPark, UK - Buy tickets
Round 5 / Grand Finale: Saturday 11 November, London / Lee Valley VeloPark, UK - SOLD OUT

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