UCI Track Champions League 2023: Katie Archibald wins elimination to take Endurance League lead into Round 2

Katie Archibald triumphed in the elimination at Round 1 of the UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, while Dylan Bibic won the men’s elimination after a huge crash.

It was a rip-roaring start to the new Track Champions League season, live on Eurosport and discovery+, with the world’s best indoor cyclists descending on Palma, Mallorca and names new and old delivering some standout performances in the Endurance events.

The first final of the night was the men’s scratch, with defending Endurance champion Claudio Imhof of Switzerland making the early pace.

Imhof was part of a group of seven that got away on the front – of which Britain’s Mark Stewart was a part after bridging across – but another Brit, world champion Will Tidball, was out of the picture.

With the lead group catching the bunch – who were a lap behind – it made for a chaotic finish, with fans trying to work out who had crossed the line first.

It turned out to be Eiya Hashimoto, the Japanese rider, who took the win.

After the semi-finals for the men’s and women’s sprint events had taken to the boards, it was the turn of the women to battle it out in their scratch final.

Among the favourites was British track legend Archibald, and present too in the pack was Neah Evans, who won gold in the points race at the 2022 Track Cycling World Championships.

Archibald made a charge from a long way out, but in the event was reeled in and could only take second in a sprint for the line behind the victorious Lily Williams of the USA, who took the 20 points and an early lead in the Endurance League.

To round out the evening in the Endurance events, it was the elimination – beginning with the men.

It was a fraught start, with a huge crash sending all but seven of the riders tumbling to the deck.

Repairs to the track took some time, with officials applying tape to the damaged areas, but when the racing did get back underway, it was Canada’s Dylan Bibic who triumphed, stealing a march on Britain’s Tidball to cross the line with a decent margin.

After that win for Bibic, came the turn of the women.

Archibald went again for GB, and she got down to the final two against Anita Stenberg. After a series of punishing laps in the heat of the arena, it wasn’t a close contest as Archibald strolled to victory, in so doing taking the lead in the Endurance League after Round 1.

Round 2 comes from Berlin next Saturday, October 28.