Keisse to join De Ketele for World Cup Madison

De Ketele is congratulated by Keisse after the derny race

De Ketele is congratulated by Keisse after the derny race (Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)

New Quick Step signing Iljo Keisse will compete in a busy schedule of events at the third round of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) track World Cup this week in Cali, Colombia.

Het Nieuwsblad reports that the 26-year-old Belgian will return to World Cup competition for the first time since the Manchester round of the series in 2008, and will compete in the points race, Madison and team pursuit. He has made the journey to South America in order to qualify for next year's track World Championships, which will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in March.

Keisse will join Kenny De Ketele for the Madison, reuniting the pair that finished fourth in the same event at last year's Beijing Olympics. The duo will then combine with Steve Schets and Ingmare De Poortere for the team pursuit.

Schets is scheduled to also compete in the scratch race, while De Poortere will race the 4000 metre individual pursuit.

Keisse's presence at the World Cup will means he will miss this week's Quick Step training camp in Calpe, Spain. He confirmed a one-year contract with the ProTour team on Monday and has planned to compete in the Track World Championships before racing with the Belgian squad on the road from March onwards.

Keisse's first event in Colombia will be the points race on Thursday. Headed into the third of four World Cup rounds, Belgium currently sit 15th on the overall team standings.
 

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Track World Cup overall standings after the second round
1Australia210pts
2Great Britain199Row 1 - Cell 3
3Germany189Row 2 - Cell 3
4Netherlands131Row 3 - Cell 3
5China103Row 4 - Cell 3
6New Zealand94Row 5 - Cell 3
7Team Jayco92Row 6 - Cell 3
8Team Sky + Hd81Row 7 - Cell 3
9Russia77Row 8 - Cell 3
10Ukraine69Row 9 - Cell 3
11Poland61Row 10 - Cell 3
12Spain59Row 11 - Cell 3
13Italy54Row 12 - Cell 3
14France52Row 13 - Cell 3
15Belgium46Row 14 - Cell 3
16Lithuania45Row 15 - Cell 3
17Greece35Row 16 - Cell 3
18Cofidis32Row 17 - Cell 3
19Czech Republic30Row 18 - Cell 3
20Denmark28Row 19 - Cell 3
21Japan27Row 20 - Cell 3
22Belarus25Row 21 - Cell 3
23United States24Row 22 - Cell 3
24Hong Kong16Row 23 - Cell 3
25Switzerland16Row 24 - Cell 3
26Korea15Row 25 - Cell 3
27Hong Kong Pro Cycling14Row 26 - Cell 3
28Malaysia14Row 27 - Cell 3
29Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Azzurre11Row 28 - Cell 3
30Bike Technologies Australia10Row 29 - Cell 3
31Cuba10Row 30 - Cell 3
32Rodin10Row 31 - Cell 3
33Alks Stal Grudziaduz10Row 32 - Cell 3
34Katyusha9Row 33 - Cell 3
35Lokomotiv9Row 34 - Cell 3
36Proman Racing Team8Row 35 - Cell 3
37Verducci Breakaway8Row 36 - Cell 3
38Austria8Row 37 - Cell 3
39Moscow Track Team7Row 38 - Cell 3
40Ireland7Row 39 - Cell 3
41Verducci Breakaway7Row 40 - Cell 3
42Argentina6Row 41 - Cell 3
43Us Creteil4Row 42 - Cell 3
44Mexico3Row 43 - Cell 3
45Grace Institute3Row 44 - Cell 3
46Chinese Taipei1Row 45 - Cell 3

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