The 50th edition of the UCI Track Junior World Championships, held this week in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, provided thrilling displays of skill and power from the best of the next generation.
Italian sprinter Matilde Cenci proved to be the most successful rider, claiming three of her nation’s six titles and adding a bronze medal to her own impressive title. Her countrymen and women also shone as Italy topped the medal standings ahead of Great Britain (five titles).
Across five days of competition (20-24 August), 22 titles of UCI World Champion were awarded (11 each for the female and male riders).
Cenci steps up to lead Italy
Having already featured on the podium twice at last year’s UCI Junior Track Worlds (bronze medals in the keirin and team sprint), Cenci showed how much progress she’s made in her second year as a Junior. Alongside Rebecca Fiscarelli and Siria Trevisan, she took her first gold medal as early as the first day of competition, on Wednesday, as the trio powered to victory ahead of Germany and Australia in the team sprint.
It was just the beginning for Cenci and the Italians. The young sprinter settled for bronze in the sprint, won by Veronika Solozobova (AIN) on Friday. Then she powered back to the top step of the podium on the final weekend, ruling the kilometre time trial and the keirin. “It means a lot to me,” Cenci celebrated. “I want to thank my coach Ivan Quaranta, my team, my family, and especially my brother Gregorio, who’s also my best friend.”
Chantal Pegolo (who rode the team sprint with Cenci in 2024) also participated in the Italian dominance with a victory in the elimination race. As for Alessio Magagnotti, he won two rainbow jerseys, ruling the individual pursuit as well as the team pursuit, an event that already brought him gold in 2024. This time, he got the better of Team GB alongside Riccardo Colombo (also a silver medallist in the Madison), Francesco Cornacchini and Francesco Matteoli.
The Squadra Azzurra already topped the medal standings in 2023, but with four titles. Six victories in a single edition is a new record for them at the UCI Junior Track World Championships, bringing their tally up to 50 gold medals in the event’s history - Letizia Paternoster is the most titled Italian at the event, with five victories as a Junior.
Global rising stars: Boothman, Igual, Choi…
In Italy’s wake, Great Britain also relied on rising stars who had already shone at last year’s UCI Junior Track Worlds. Just like in 2024, Erin Boothman ruled the Madison and the team pursuit. Last year, she benefitted from being associated with the special talents, Cat Ferguson, Carys Lloyd and Imogen Wolff. This time, she was a driving force alongside Phoebe Taylor, her partner in both events, as well as Abigail Miller and Evie Smith, who completed the pursuit team.
British riders had already opened the competition in winning fashion, with Kristian Larigo, Archie Gill and Ioan Hepburn ruling the men’s team sprint on Wednesday.
Then, Team GB saw Henry Hobbs double down on his performance from last year, claiming two rainbow jerseys in Apeldoorn after taking his first in Luoyang (China). Hobbs - whose older brother Noah won stage 1 of the Tour de l’Avenir on the road on Sunday - showed his versatility, power and grit, ruling the omnium and the kilometre time trial, while also claiming silver in the team pursuit.
Two other riders managed to take two gold medals in the 2025 UCI Junior Track World Championships: Spain’s Éric Igual, crowned in the men’s points race and Madison (with Eñaut Urcaregui); and Korea’s Taeho Choi, king of the sprint disciplines in Apeldoorn. Bronze medallist last year in the individual and team sprints, he dominated the keirin and the individual sprint, and also took silver in the team sprint.
The medal table also highlights the great coups of the USA’s Emma Jimenez (gold in women’s Scratch and silver in the women’s individual pursuit behind Denmark’s Ida Fialla), France’s Nathan Marcoux (winner of the men’s Scratch), and Austria’s Heimo Fugger (winner of the men’s elimination race), who all took the only medals their nations claimed at these UCI Worlds. On the other hand, German riders claimed ten medals (the second highest total behind Italy’s 13), but with no gold amongst them.