Five titles were at stake on Thursday, the second day of competition of the 2025 Tissot UCI Track World Championships. Already crowned on Wednesday in the team sprint, the Netherlands’ Harrie Lavreysen made history again claiming yet another rainbow jersey in the keirin. In other finals of the session, Denmark won the men’s team pursuit while Italy triumphed in the women’s, and both Ireland’s Lara Gillespie (women’s elimination) and Germany’s Moritz Augenstein (men’s scratch) took their maiden rainbow jerseys.
Men’s team pursuit: Denmark’s treble
Tobias Hansen, Niklas Larsen, Fredrik Madsen and Rasmus Pedersen roared like thunder as they ruled the final of the team pursuit to take Denmark’s third successive title in the speciality. It makes them the first nation to win the title for three consecutive years since Australia’s reign from 2002 until 2004.
This time, the Aussies came into the final as the reigning Olympic Champions. But Oliver Bleddyn, Blake Agnoletto, Conor Leahy and James Moriarty couldn’t resist Denmark’s power. The defending UCI World Champions led from the start to the finish, clocking a time of 3.43.915 (64.310km/h) to take gold with a margin of more than three seconds (+3.343).
“We fought really hard and it’s just super nice,” Larsen said as the Danes stepped down from the podium where Lasse Leth also donned the rainbow jersey after racing the qualifying.
In the final for bronze, Thomas Sexton, Marshall Erwood, Keegan Hornblow and Nicholas Kergozou de la Boessiere got the better of the USA’s quartet to bring New Zealand back on the podium of the discipline.
Women’s elimination: Gillespie edges Archibald
A stunning final effort from Ireland’s Lara Gillespie saw her overcome Great Britain’s Katie Archibald at the very end of a hard-fought women’s elimination race. The reigning European Champion in the discipline, Gillespie took Ireland’s first rainbow jersey at the UCI Track Worlds since Martyn Irvine won the men’s scratch in 2013.
“I had the confidence and I think that’s what took me there,” Gillespie reflected after she got the better of a seasoned champion such as Archibald. “It’s really really special. I’m so proud to do it for my country and I’m so proud of our small little team we have here. We’re small but mighty.”
Belgium’s Hélène Hesters took the bronze medal as France’s Victoire Berteau had to settle for fourth.
Men’s keirin: Lavreysen asserts his dominance
Harrie Lavreysen reclaimed his keirin crown and added an 18th UCI Track World Champion title to his tally, the second in Santiago, after another dominant performance. With two and half laps to go, the Oranje icon unleashed his power to fly past everyone, eventually claiming gold ahead of Australia’s Leigh Hoffman and another Dutch sprinter, Jeffrey Hoogland.
“I think every world title is special and I’m really happy I could take the win,” Lavreysen said. “It was a hard day, it was a long day after yesterday. Not everything went perfect but in the semi-final I could find my speed and in the final I had the legs. I’m really happy I could bring it home.”
Lavreysen’s title is his fourth in the keirin (after previous success in 2020, 2021 and 2022), to go along with seven wins in the team sprint (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025), six in the individual sprint (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and one in the kilometre time trial (2024). On Friday, he’ll be chasing another rainbow jersey in the time trial.
Men’s scratch: Augenstein’s crowning
Germany’s Moritz Augenstein confounded all forecasts to take the rainbow jersey in the men’s scratch race, trumping recent unfortunate events that hampered his path to triumph.
Last year, a heavy crash prevented him from making his debut at the UCI Track World Championships. At the beginning of 2025, he had to miss the European Championships after a car hit him during a training ride. But on Thursday, he sprinted to victory ahead of the Netherlands’ Yanne Dorenbos and Portugal’s Iuri Leitão after the field exploded in the second half of the 40-lap race (10km).
“It’s incredible”, Augenstein said. “It’s my first ever UCI World Championships so I can’t describe the feelings I have at the moment. I think I need one more day to calm down and realise what I achieved today.”
Women’s team pursuit: Azzurra delight
Italy’s Vittoria Guazzini, Martina Fidanza, Martina Alzini and Federica Venturelli capped off the night with a thrilling victory against Germany’s Messane Bräutigam, Franziska Brausse, Lisa Klein and Laura Süssemilch in the final of the women’s team pursuit. The Germans had the strongest start but the Squadra Azzurra took the lead after 1625 metres and eventually secured the win in 4.09.569 (57.699km/h), just 0.382 second ahead of their rivals.
“It’s a dream for us,” Guazzini said. “We really wanted this jersey. At a certain moment in the season, we switched our mind and we said: ‘Now we focus on the UCI World Championships.’ And here we are, standing with the jersey. It’s amazing.”
Toppled by Germany in the first round, two-time and defending UCI World Champion Team GB claimed bronze as Madelaine Leech, Megan Barker, Josie Knight and Anna Morris dominated Belgium.