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UCI Track Cycling Champions League action gets underway this weekend, as riders head to Paris for Round 1 on Saturday, 23rd of November.
The five round series will see Rounds 2 and 3 take place in Apeldoorn on November 29th and 30th, with the final two rounds taking place in London on December 6th and 7th.
This year will see four Irish riders take part, competing against some of the world’s best.
Paris 2024 Olympians Lara Gillespie, Mia Griffin and Erin Creighton will return to Vélodrome National De Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, joined by Lucy Bénézet Minns.
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Gillespie is no stranger to the Track Champions League. Having made her debut in 2023, she bagged herself top 5 finishes in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 and a win in the final round in London. She finished 4th in the overall standings. Last year’s strong performance, coupled with a UCI Track World Championship bronze medal and solid Olympic performance mean Gillespie is one to watch this year.
Griffin also comes into the event off the back of a very strong Olympic campaign, competing in the Team Pursuit. Griffin was also partnered with Gillespie at the Track World Championships in the Madison event, in which the pair finished 7th. Griffin also took the General Classification win in the Rás na mBan on Irish roads earlier this year.
Creighton joined the Olympic Team Pursuit squad as reserve rider, and having missed out on the World Championships due to illness she’ll be looking to finish her year off on a high note.
Bénézet Minns recently made the step up to the senior ranks for the Track World Championships where she took 16th place in the Individual Pursuit. Earlier this year she took top spot in the Points Race at the Junior Track European Championships in Germany.
The competition is divided into two categories: Endurance and Sprint. The Endurance events consist of an elimination race and a scratch race, with sprint events featuring keirin and the individual sprint.
Points are awarded based on results in each round and go towards the overall series standings.
All four Irish riders will compete in the Endurance category for this series.
All rounds of this year’s series will be available to watch on EuroSport and Discovery+.
Photo Credit: SW Pix
You can find more information on the UCI Track Champions League website - click here