Intense calendar set to bring more fans closer to the UCI Track Champions League cycling in 2022

Cycling fans in France and Germany are set to experience the high adrenalin racing of the UCI Track Champions League for the first time, as two new world class venues join the series as part of a reworked calendar for 2022.

Velodrom Berlin and the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (SQY) just outside Paris will host rounds two and three respectively, as part of the five-round season kicking off in Mallorca on November 12th. Just as in 2021, London will again host the double-header grand finale on December 2nd and 3rd.

These two new velodromes are held in the highest regard having both welcomed UCI World Championships for track cycling in the past and the SQY Velodrome in Paris has been selected to host the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The UCI Track Champions League will continue its unique format, bringing unpredictable, short format racing and technological fan experience to thousands trackside and millions of TV viewers around the world.

François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, promoter of the UCI Track Champions League said “Building on the success of the inaugural season, it was a priority of ours to engage key audiences in France and Germany.

“Following the postponement of the Paris round last year, we are delighted to finally be able to bring the excitement of the UCI Track Champions League to the French National Velodrome along with the Velodrom Berlin.

“This is the most intense schedule yet with back-to-back racing restoring the excitement the league was set up to harness. Concluding in the world-famous Lee Valley Park to an audience of dedicated fans, the grand finale is set to be spectacular!”

David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) said: “Last year, the UCI Track Champions League provided a spectacular show that put the Olympic discipline of track cycling and its athletes in the spotlight they deserve. The fast-paced, short-format racing proved popular with the fans and the riders, who will be delighted to compete at two prestigious new venues in 2022.

“With five rounds over four consecutive weekends, there will be little time to draw breath as the best track specialists in the world chase one of the four overall titles at stake in this second edition of the UCI Track Champions League.”

The Race Schedule

Round 1 – Super Launch – November 12 – Palma, Mallorca, Spain – Velòdrom Illes Balears

The 6000 capacity multisport venue opened in 2007 and hosted the 2007 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. It also hosted the very first round of the UCI Track Champions League in 2021 where it made its international debut to a packed velodrome in front of hundreds of new track cycling fans.

Round 2 – November 19 – Berlin, Germany – Velodrom Berlin

The Velodrom Berlin venue has a capacity to hold up to 6000 fans for track cycling events, it was completed in 1997 and originally conceived as part of Berlin’s bid to host the Olympics. From the outside, the spectacular, wood-panelled exterior makes it one of the most unique roof structures in Europe. It was at this velodrome, during the 2020 World Championships, where Discovery and the UCI signed an eight-year partnership to organise the UCI Track Champions League.

Round 3 – November 26 – Paris, France – Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

This flagship of the French Cycling Federation – The French National Velodrome can hold up to 5000 spectators and opened in 2014. It hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2015 and UEC Track Cycling European Championships in 2016. The velodrome will host the track cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Round 4 & 5 – Grand Finale – December 2-3 – London, UK – Lee Valley VeloPark

The award-winning Lee Valley VeloPark has a capacity for 6,000 spectators and was constructed for the 2012 London Olympics. The venue also hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2016, Sir Bradley Wiggins’ successful attempt on the UCI Hour Record timed by Tissot in 2015 and more recently, the back-to-back, sold-out rounds of the UCI Track Champions League in 2021. It will again host the UCI Track Champions League Grand Finale where the champions will be crowned at the end of the 2022 series.

Equal Prize Money for Male & Female Athletes

The 36 male and 36 female riders competing for victory in the League’s Sprint and Endurance categories will receive a prize pot totalling more than €500,000. Which once again will be equal for both male and female riders as part of the League’s commitment to gender equality in the sport.

Prize money will be awarded for places 1-10 in every race throughout the series, with race winners receiving €1,000. The overall winner of each category will also receive €25,000, with prize money allocated for each place in the overall standings.

The Leader’s Jersey

The second season will again have a leader’s jersey that will be worn by the leading male and female riders in the series’ Sprint and Endurance categories. Each rider will keep the same race number throughout the competition and will have their own personal sponsors featured on the skinsuit.

Global Broadcast Distribution

As part of the League’s ambition to reach a wider audience for the sport and attract new fans, distribution partnerships with top tier broadcasters have also been agreed. Further details on broadcast partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Sporting Format Explained

The UCI Track Champions League is a league format where every round features the same race programme. Riders score points across the five rounds in either the Sprint or Endurance category. Each category has two different types of races in which competitors can accumulate points: Sprinters race both the Sprint and Keirin while Endurance riders race both the Elimination and Scratch. 18 riders will compete in each category, totalling 72 riders: 36 men and 36 women.

Rankings within the UCI Track Champions League are determined by points allocated to riders from their performance in each race. Points will accrue in a league table and the overall winner in each of the categories will be the rider with the most points at the end of the series. At the end of each round the four current leaders of each category (two male, two female) will be awarded the coveted leader’s jersey to wear at the next event.