Archibald and Bibic to defend titles in new UCI Track Champions League series

Katie Archibald celebrates her Endurance Winners Trophy at 2023 Track Champions League
Katie Archibald celebrates her Endurance Winners Trophy at 2023 Track Champions League (Image credit: Getty Images)

The final countdown is underway for a fresh series of the UCI Track Champions League, starting this Saturday in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France with Britain's Katie Archibald, New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews and Canadian Dylan Bibic three of the top names hoping to renew their 2023 overall victories.

"I can’t wait to get back on the track and try to defend my title from last year. This season has had some ups and downs for me," Archibald said in a pre-series statement.

"But this is an opportunity to end it on a high. I want to race well and make the most of the form I've got - especially in front of a home crowd at the Lee Valley velodrome."

"After a break after the Games, I was mainly able to train a lot to perform as well as possible here," Richardson said in a pre-league press conference, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"There are many challenges waiting for me in my new situation. I am very curious to see how it will turn out. I am especially looking forward to the competitions in London."

Other star names across the sprint and endurance events include 2023 series runner-up Will Tidball (Great Britain), 2022 overall winner Claudio Imhof (Switzerland), 2024 Track world champions Anna Morris and Emma Finucane (Great Britain) and 2024 Olympic double-gold medallist Andrews. 

Racing in the five-round event begins Saturday, November 23 in the Vélodrome National of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a venue which witnessed many of the battles for Olympic glory last summer. 

Split into Endurance and Sprint events with 36-strong fields in each category, every round of the Track Champions League features the same race programme and offers points towards a leader's jersey and, of course, overall victory. 

The UCI Track Champions League will be accessible worldwide through WBD Sports' extensive network including Max, Eurosport and discovery+, as well as a host of broadcast partners. 

Track Champions League 2024 schedule

  • Round 1 - Saturday, November 23, 17:00 CET at Velodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France 
  • Round 2 - Friday, November 29, 19:00 CET at Omnisport Apeldoorn, the Netherlands 
  • Round 3 - Saturday, November 30, 16:00 CET at Omnisport Apeldoorn, the Netherlands 
  • Round 4 - Friday, December 6,  20:00 CET at London, Lee Valley VeloPark, UK
  • Round 5 -Saturday, December 7, 18:30 CET at London / Lee Valley VeloPark, UK
Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.