With the super World Cycling Championships in Glasgow, all cycling disciplines will be covered in Scotland over the next week and a half. This, of course, includes track cycling, where the Netherlands traditionally has many opportunities for a medal. At IDLProCycling.com, we look ahead to the track disciplines to keep an eye on over the coming week!
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow will be the scene of the Track Cycling World Championships from August 3rd to August 9th. Born in Edinburgh, Hoy won six Olympic gold medals and eleven world titles in his career, making him one of the most successful track cyclists of all time, earning him a knighthood in his home country.
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow will be the setting for the World Track Cycling Championships in the coming week from August 3 through August 9. The Edinburgh-born Hoy won six Olympic gold medals and 11 world titles in his career, making him one of the most successful track cyclists of all time, which also earned him the peerage in his own country.
In 2014, the track events of the Commonwealth Games were already held in the arena in Glasgow, while the European Track Cycling Championships in 2018 were also held on the cycling track. The stadium is located next to Celtic Park, near the River Clyde.
What do the Track Cycling World Championships in Glasgow consist of?
Roughly, you can say that the Track Cycling World Championships can be divided into two parts: the sprint events and the endurance events. The sprint events include disciplines such as (team) sprint, Keirin, and the kilometer/500 meter. The endurance events then feature the Scratch, the Omnium, the Madison, points race, and elimination race.
This year's Track Cycling World Championships serve as an important gauge for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, traditionally the quadrennial highlight for the track racers.
Who should you keep an eye on at the World Track Cycling Championships in Glasgow?
In the sprint disciplines, the Netherlands has been among the world's top for years with Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland. "With Harrie, we have a rider who wants to win again on the individual events, his track record speaks for itself. Jeffrey Hoogland - who combines the keirin and the kilometer in this tournament, partly on the same day - has taken another big step compared to last year", says Dutch national coach Kordi.
"After a successful training camp in Norway, we are heading into this world championship filled with confidence," the coach remarks. He has designated Roy van den Berg and Tijmen van Loon to join Lavreysen and Hoogland in the team sprint. In addition to this, Tijmen is slated to compete in the keirin and sprint, while Van den Berg takes on the kilometer event. "Given our team's outstanding performance over the past few years, we are justifiably ambitious. While we are aware that our best possible form will be on display, we also acknowledge that our competitors' progress could influence the results. The team sprint, as always, holds paramount importance in the Olympic qualification journey. Last year, our men's team faced its first defeat at the World Championships in years, and we are now eager to reclaim the gold," Kordi states, reflecting on the previous year's defeat to the Australian team.
Those Aussies, with the likes of Matthew Glaetzer and Matthew Richardson, once again pose a significant challenge in the different events. Additionally, our eyes will be keenly focused on Scotland's very own Jack Carlin, as he competes on his home turf.
Kordi is confident that the women's team also has good prospects. "We're targeting a medal in the women's team sprint," he mentions, referring to the quartet of Kyra Lamberink (also competing in the 500 meters), Hetty van de Wouw (sprint and keirin), Steffie van der Peet (sprint and keirin), and Shanne Braspennincx (also participating in the 500 meters). "Our team consists of a solid quartet of athletes who know how to bolster each other's performance. When it comes to individual events, our best chances of medalling are in the keirin, but it's also entirely possible for us to make a strong showing in the sprint," he adds.
In the women's category, the German and French ladies have been dominant in recent years. Emma Hinze and Lea Sophie Friedrich have been ruling the sprint disciplines for several years à la Lavreysen/Hoogland, while the French Mathilde Gros is the reigning champion in the sprint.
For the endurance events, national coach Stöpler also provides his perspective. "In the men's Madison, we're in great form, and with Yoeri Havik and Jan-Willem van Schip, we're targeting a medal," he says. "Vincent Hoppezak will be competing in the all-important omnium, traditionally a highly competitive event, where a top-five finish would be quite an accomplishment. In the non-Olympic individual events, we have contenders for the world titles including Roy Eefting (scratch), reigning champion Yoeri Havik (points race), and Matthijs Büchli (elimination race)." Stöpler also acknowledges the Belgian team, with competitors like Fabio Van den Bossche, Robbe Ghys, Lindsay De Vylder, and Robbe Ghys, as they too set their sights on victory.
Aside from the Belgians, several road racers are also planning to compete in Glasgow. Riders such as Filippo Ganna and Jonathan Milan have opted out of the men's road race on Sunday in favor of track events, while other known top riders including Elia Viviani, Simone Consonni, Michael Mørkøv, Benjamin Thomas, and Ethan Hayter will be participating in various events in Glasgow.
In the women's endurance events, the Dutch team leans on the abilities of Maike van der Duin (participating in Madison, Scratch, Omnium, and Elimination Race) and Marit Raaijmakers (competing in Madison and Points Race). "Assuming Maike is fully prepared and in peak condition, we hope to reach the top five in the Omnium, where a medal would be a wonderful accomplishment," Stöpler asserts. "Securing her last year's silver medal again won't be an easy feat, given the higher competitive level anticipated in the Omnium compared to the World Championships in Paris, and even the Tokyo Games. For the Scratch event, our goal is a medal, and if everything aligns just right, she could vie for the victory. Fortunately, with Marit and Maike we also have a very strong pair which already finished fifth in Paris last year."
From a Belgian point of view, Lotte Kopecky naturally stands out as the main contender in endurance events. While she won't be participating in the Madison owing to her track partner, Shari Bossuyt's, involvement in a doping case, Kopecky still has ample opportunity to demonstrate her prowess in individual events. Notably, she is also slated to compete in the women's road race on August 13, where she's considered the top favorite. Other well-known competitors on the track include Katie Archibald (Great Britain), Letizia Paternoster (Italy), and Chloé Dygert (United States).
World Track Cycling Championships 2023 program
Please note that these are only the finals in which there will eventually be medals to be awarded.
August 3, 2023
7.50 p.m.: Women's Individual Pursuit
8:19 p.m.: Women's Team Sprint
8:27 p.m.: Men's Scratch
August 4, 2023
7:26 p.m.: Women's 500-meter Time Trial
8:01 p.m.: Women's Scratch
8:33 p.m.: Men's Team Sprint
August 5, 2023
7:07 p.m.: Men's Team Pursuit
8:28 p.m.: Women's Team Pursuit
August 6, 2023
2:41 p.m.: Men's Omnium Scratch
6:22 p.m.: Men's Omnium Pace Race
6:34 p.m.: Women's Elimination Race
7:01 p.m.: Men's Individual Pursuit
7:16 p.m.: Men's Omnium Elimination Race
7:57 p.m.: Women's Keirin
8:12 p.m.: Men's Omnium Points Race
August 7, 2023
6:28 p.m.: Men's Elimination Race
6:55 p.m.: Men's Sprint
7:34 p.m.: Women's Madison
August 8, 2023
5:25 p.m.: Men's Kilometer Time Trial
6:42 p.m.: Women's Points Race
7:44 p.m.: Men's Madison
August 9, 2023
5:38 p.m.: Women's Omnium Scratch
6:19 p.m.: Women's Omnium Pace Race
6:33 p.m.: Women's Sprint
6:58 p.m.: Women's Omnium Elimination Race
7:15 p.m.: Men's Points Race
8:11 p.m.: Men's Keirin
8:21 p.m.: Women's Omnium Points Race
TV World Championship Track Cycling 2023
The broadcast rights for the super World Cycling Championships 2023 are held by NOS (Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), and Eurosport. On the latter channel, you can visit online platforms for all the action on the cycling track in Glasgow. However, it is not yet clear when exactly it will be visible on the national channels.
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