Track Champions League 2022: Katie Archibald excels again, Claudio Imhof moves into pole position

Katie Archibald (Great Britain) moved on to 97 points to close the gap on Jennifer Valente (United States) to one point in the women’s Endurance League at the Track Champions League as Claudio Imhof (Switzerland) moved up from third to take the lead in the men’s side of the event.

Barring accident or incident, it will be a straight fight between Archibald and Valente in London for the TCL Endurance crown, with Lily Williams (United States) sat in third some 34 points shy of Archibald’s total.

On the men’s side, just 12 points separate Imhof in first and Mark Stewart (Great Britain) in fourth, suggesting a thrilling battle at the back-to-back showdown in London. Imhof is on 80 points, Mathias Guillemette (Canada) sits in second on 74 points, Sebastian Mora (Colombia) is on 71 points with Stewart on 68.

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Archibald bounced back from her Mallorca mishap – she exited the elimination race on the first sprint lap – by doubling up in Berlin, and sat just six points off Valente in the women’s Endurance League ahead of the third round of racing at the Velodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

The 28-year-old had won both scratch events thus far, in Mallorca and Berlin, but it was another Briton – Sophie Lewis – who took the spoils at SQY.

The 20-year-old made her move with eight laps remaining and, after hesitation in the pack, had half a lap with four laps to go. Archibald made it a British one-two leading home the ever-consistent Valente in third. The upshot saw Archibald claw back two precious points on Valente.

In the elimination race, Archibald lived dangerously as she was on the cusp of elimination on multiple occasions, but would duel it out with Valente for the victory as the final two. Having lived dangerously, the multiple Olympic champion would power to the win. However, Valente – yet to win a race at this year’s TCL – remained in the leader’s jersey owing to her remarkable consistency. She leads Archibald by one point.

“I think I am going to strip back a bit of volume next week [in London],” said Archibald.

“I am pretty motivated for it. I am taking the whole series very seriously. To go into the finale, after taking myself out of contention in week one, now that it’s close, I feel like I am a contender. I am going to try to do everything perfectly to give myself the best odds.”

On the men’s side of the event, Guillemette led the Endurance League from Stewart coming into the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines round.

And at the start of the scratch race, Guillemette and Canada team-mate Dylan Bibic attempted to string it out early but it came to nothing, with Guillemette eventually finishing 14th and Bibic eighth. Will Perrett (Great Britain) took it up on lap nine but as soon as he eased off, Gavin Hoover (United States), Moritz Malcharek (Germany) and Mora countered and Mora held on to take the win with Imhof in second. That result put Imhof in the provisional lead – he would defend that lead in the elimination race, where he finished third.

Thus Imhof will wear the coveted blue jersey ahead of the conclusion of the second running of the Track Champions League in London next weekend.

After Imhof’s elimination, it was Great Britain’s Ollie Wood and Guillemette who battled it out. And, after a little bit of needle between the pair, it was the Brit who came out on top – meaning a GB rider won three of the four endurance races of the evening.

“It feels pretty good,” said Wood. “Two wins this season and I didn’t think I was really going to be capable of that after the Scratch race but I pulled it out of the bag and I guess that’s what matters.”

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