2021 UCI Track World Championships

2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships Race Preview

2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships Race Preview

The 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships will take place in Roubaix, France at the STAB Velodrome from October 20-24.

Oct 19, 2021 by Jessica Alexander
2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships Race Preview

The 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships will take place in Roubaix, France at the STAB Velodrome from October 20-24. Originally scheduled to take place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 22 different events will take place on the Siberian spruce 250m indoor track.

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Expect to see both men’s and women’s sprint races, individual time trials (1km for men, 500m for women), Individual pursuit    , Team pursuit, Team sprint, Keirin races, Scratch races, Points races, Elimination races, Madison races and the Omnium (comprising the Scratch race, Tempo race, Elimination race and Points race). 

Men’s And Women’s Sprint Races

On the men’s side, expect there to be a battle for the rainbow jersey against 2020 Tokyo Olympic Gold medalist Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands taking on compatriot and Olympic silver medalist Jeffrey Hoogland. On the women’s side, Tokyo Gold medalist Canadian Kelsey Mitchell will take on silver medalist Olena Starikova from the Ukraine. 

Men’s And Women’s Individual Time Trials

The men will take on a 1KM time trial. The Individual time trial is no longer offered at the Olympics; Sam Ligtlee from The Netherlands is the reigning 2020 World Champion and will look to defend his jersey against France’s silver medalist Quentin Lafargue. The women will race a standard 500m Individual time trial and Germany’s Lea Friedrich will defend her 2020 rainbow jersey against bronze medalist, Italy’s Miriam Vece. 

Men’s And Women’s Individual Pursuit

Also no longer an Olympic event, the Men’s Individual pursuit will be hotly contested between American Ashton Lambie who just set the record in August 2021 for the first sub-4 minute result and Italian Filippo Ganna who lost the record to Lambie. For the women, American Lily Williams takes on Germany’s Lisa Brennauer. 

Men’s and Women’s Team Pursuit

The Italian men dominated the Team Pursuit at the 2020 Olympics and will be taking on teams from Denmark (silver) and Australia (silver). The women’s Team pursuit will see a battle between Germany (gold at the 2020 Olympics), Great Britain (silver) and the United States (bronze). 

Men’s and Women’s Team Sprint

The Dutch men reigned supreme at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and look to be taking on rivalries from Great Britain and France. For the women’s Team Sprint, look to a strong showing from the People’s Republic of China to defend their Olympic gold against Germany and the Aussie women, who took silver at the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Men’s and Women’s Keirin

Japan’s Yuta Obara was the silver medal winner at the 2020 UCI World Track Cycling Championships and will be taking on 2020 Olympics Bronze medalist Harrie Lavreysen of The Netherlands. For the women’s keirin, expect a battle between Dutch cyclist and 2020 Tokyo Gold medalist Shanne Braspennincx and Canadian Lauriane Genest. 

Men’s and Women’s Scratch Races

The battle of the Scratch for the men might come down to Italy’s Simone Consonni, who placed second at the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and Dutch rider Roy Eefting. For the women, 2020’s rainbow jersey winner, The Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild looks to defend her gold medal against American Jennifer Valente. 

Men’s and Women’s Points Races

2020 UCI Track Cycling World Champion New Zealand’s Corbin Strong takes on Dutch rider Roy Eefting, who will also be racing the Scratch races. In the women’s race, look to American Jennifer Valente to take on Norway’s sole athlete, Anita Yvonne Stenberg. 

Men’s And Women’s Madison Races

The men’s Madison will be fought amongst Germany, Great Britain and France, who all medaled at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For the women, expect to see a heated battle between Great Britain, Denmark and The Netherlands, who will have Dutch rider Kristen Wild as part of their team. 

Men’s And Women’s Omnium 

Finally, the Omnium features four races spread over an entire day (Scratch race, Tempo race, Elimination race and Points race), that each award points based on placings and laps. For the men, expect Dutch rider Jan Willem Van Schip to put on a strong showing against Italy’s Elia Viviani. For the women, defending 2020 Tokyo Gold medalist Jennifer Valente will take on Japan’s Yumi Kajihara.