Harrie Lavreysen bounces back after UCI Track Champions League blip as Katie Archibald extends lead

Alessa-Catriona Propster interrupted Ellesse Andrews run of impressive victories in the final event of the night, although the Kiwi was able to secure second place and tighten her own grip on the overall lead.

In the women’s endurance, Sarah Van Dam and Maggie Coles-Lyster took the second impressive one-two of the night in the scratch. Katie Archibald never looked in danger of losing the jersey as she eased to her 10th Track Champions League elimination win.

The only perfect night belonged to Dylan Bibic, the Canadian sealed the other Canada one-two in the opening night scratch and playing with fire in the elimination but coming out on top in the end.

World sprint champion and Track Champions League leader Harrie Richardson finally met his arch nemesis Matthew Richardson in the two-up final for the first time – and came off second best. The Australian looked stronger in Paris than he has at any point in the series and rode the perfect match sprint, leading out, maintaining primary position on the white line, and holding off the Dutch rider even as he accelerated towards the finish.

The keirin was a different story, as Lavreysen seemed to feel the need to show he was still every inch the top dog. He sailed into the final where he was in a big hurryto get the race over. Lavreysen accelerated to the front before the bell, establishing a lead that none of the others could come close to threatening. Mateusz Rudyk rode strongly to resist the encroachment of Richardson for an impressive second place.

Ellesse Andrews’ impressive run of Track Champions League results came to an end in the keirin in Paris, as German rider Alessa Catriona-Propster rolled the dice early and came up with sixes. Propster, who took the first women’s sprint jersey in Mallorca, followed the move of Emma Finucane to lead with a gap at the bottom of the track at the start of the final lap. Nicky Degrendele narrowed the advantage but Propster hung on and finished strongly.

Earlier in the evening, Andrews was in the same dominant form she had shown in Berlin, looking unbeatable in both opening heat and semi final. She was always the favouite against Kelsey Mitchell, though the Canadian showed signs of improvement on the first two week’s performances to make it to the two-up match. In the final Andrews made it look easy as she led from the front to win by two bike lengths.

Dylan Bibic took his win rate to 60% for the series thanks to a pair of impressive performances that delivered perfect results and delivered him the overall lead by a comfortable margin. No serious attacks in the scratch meant it came down to a bunch sprint for the first time, with Bibic well positioned by the last lap, just managing to overhaul compatriot Mathias Guillemette at the line to seal a solid Canadian 1-2.

The elimination saw a shock early exit from overall leader Eiya Hashimoto, opening the door for Bibic to take the jersey from him. Though Bibic at times rode his luck – and the wheels – he made it to the head-to-head against Jules Hesters and finished him off with a lap-long acceleration that the Belgian could do nothing about.

The women’s scratch race delivered the second Canadian 1-2 of the night, as Sarah Van Dam left it late to attack but held out for an impressive maiden Track Champions League victory. Maggie Coles-Lyster came round for second place, with Archibald in third, while Lily Williams could manage no higher than 9th.

In the elimination, Archibald showed she is the best in the world at the discipline. Though the British rider had a few moments of wobble, her supremacy was never seriously challenged. Down to the final two, and up against Anita Yvonne Stenberg, Archibald did what she has done on two previous occasions in this series, and simply rode away from her rival.