For the fourth consecutive year, the UCI Track Champions League concluded in London (Great Britain), where the iconic Lee Valley VeloPark hosted rounds 4 and 5 on the weekend 6-7 December.
Just a few weeks after the first round held in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (the venue for the track events at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games), the winners of the various trophies were crowned following the conclusion of races at the velodrome built for the 2012 London Olympics.
Following an incident towards the end of the event, where Alessa-Catriona Pröpster (GER) and Katy Marchant (GBR) were involved in a crash, the UCI, Warner Bros. Discovery, and British Cycling decided to suspend the competition while the affected individuals were attended to.
At this point, Katie Archibald had already secured the Women’s Endurance League title. With just a few races remaining, the victories were virtually sealed for Alina Lysenko (Women’s Sprint League), Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen (Men’s Sprint League), and Canadian Dylan Bibic (Men’s Endurance League). The standings at the time of the race cancellation are now considered final.
Men’s Sprint League: Lavreysen reigns supreme
After dominating the events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the 2024 Tissot UCI Track World Championships, Harrie Lavreysen continued his stellar 2024 season with more victories in the UCI Track Champions League, winning the Men’s Sprint League for the third time in four editions.
However, it was Matthew Richardson (GBR) who had made a strong start by winning the sprint and keirin at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. But as the series moved to the Netherlands for the first time, with Omnisport Apeldoorn hosting rounds 2 and 3, Lavreysen took the lead in the overall standings.
Lavreysen stated that he felt stronger each each round, and he proved it with a dominant performance in London, where he won his first keirin of the 2024 UCI Track Champions League, reaching his highest power output of the season at 2,216 watts.
This gave the Dutchman a decisive lead, which he maintained through the final round, ultimately dominating the overall standings with 166 points, 20 ahead of Richardson. Colombian Cristian Ortega rounded out the podium with 115 points.
Women’s Sprint League: Lysenko’s power
The Women’s Sprint League featured a wealth of talent, including Olympic, UCI World, and Pan American champions such as New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews (defending champion), Emma Finucane (GBR), and Martha Bayona (COL). After three weekends of racing, only five points separated the top three... but all were outpaced by Alina Lysenko, who delivered the best season ever seen in the Women’s Sprint League.
With 157 points, the four-time UCI Junior Track World Champion set new records previously held by Andrews in 2023: 17.4 points per race (compared to 17.3 for Andrews) and six victories (compared to five).
Lysenko began with a bang, finishing second in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines sprint. She then went on to win five consecutive events, from the keirin in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to that of Apeldoorn (round 3), an unprecedented streak in the league (Andrews and Lavreysen both won four consecutive races in 2023).
Men’s Endurance League: Bibic’s mastery
At just 21 years old, Canadian Dylan Bibic has already established his strength and experience, having worn the rainbow jersey as both a Junior and Elite, and winning the UCI Track Champions League in both 2023 and 2024.
The Men’s Endurance League has always been the most open, with three different winners and last-minute twists at the top of the standings in 2021 and 2022. Bibic managed to dominate the standings for two consecutive years, despite tough competition from champions like Tobias Hansen (DEN).
The Canadian star made his mark in the first race of the season, winning the scratch at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (where he also won the scratch gold medal at the 2022 Tissot UCI Track World Championships).
Throughout the season, Bibic showed great confidence, neutralising his opponents to secure two additional wins (elimination races in rounds 2 and 4), leading the overall standings from start to finish.
Women’s Endurance League: Archibald’s triumph
Katie Archibald’s abilities have made her a key figure at the Olympic Games, UCI Track World Championships, European Championships... and a consistent force in the UCI Track Champions League. Already crowned in 2021 and 2023, the British star now has three overall titles, matching Lavreysen’s record.
Like her compatriot Matthew Richardson, Archibald started the season strong, achieving a “perfect night” in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines with wins in the scratch and elimination.
She then claimed two more victories, in the elimination in round 3 and the scratch in round 5, delighting her fans and ultimately winning the title with a 39-point lead over Norway’s Anita Stenberg (159 points to 120).
The 2024 edition also highlighted rising stars such as Irishwoman Lara Gillespie (third in the overall standings with 112 points), Canadian Sarah Van Dam (fourth with 105 points), and Mexican Yareli Acevedo (sixth with 94 points), who managed to beat Archibald in the very last event. The future of track cycling looks bright!
Find the full results of all the 2024 UCI Track Champions League events on the UCI website.