Track Worlds: Wiebes secures first career world title in debut Scratch Race, Team Sprint golds earned by British women and Dutch men

The first three elite world titles of the 2024 UCI Track World Championships were awarded on the track at Ballerup Super Arena outside Copenhagen, Denmark on the opening day of competition on Wednesday. The UCI Track Cycling World Championships were last held in Ballerup in 2002 and 2010. The 2024 championships will be held October 16 to 20.

Women's Scratch Race

Image 1 of 4

Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) secured her first elite rainbow jersey of her career in women's Scratch Race on the opening day of the UCI Track World Championships in Ballerup.

One of the fastest road racing sprinters in the world, Wiebes made her debut in the Scratch Race on the Track Worlds, securing the victory ahead of silver medallist Jennifer Valente (United States of America) and bronze medallist Ally Wollaston (New Zealand).

The women raced 40 laps with Valente leading the USA on the first few hundred metres before swinging up the track and letting rival nations take a turn out front. Wollaston also stayed near the front while Wiebes bided her time sitting five wheels back.

Marion Borras (France) made the first attack but Italy's Martina Fidanza and Norway's Anita Yvonne Stenberg quickly tried to shut the move down. The average speed increased, making it more difficult for Borras to hold her gap.

Rider after rider came to the front to set the pace, but Wiebes stayed further back in the group, likely saving her energy for the final laps.

Borras sat up with 24 laps to go and the field back together. The riders settled into a fast pace averaging 49.6 kph, deterring any attacks from flying off the front.

Valente made an attempt to defend her world title but Wiebes was on her wheel and the pair drifted back into the group with seven laps to go.

Marina Garau (Spain) counter-attacked but the move didn't stick with the field back together with four to go.

Great Britain's Sophie Lewis took the lead with three to go, but as the field sprinted through for the last lap, Wiebes made her winning move. The powerful Dutch sprinter held off the field for the entire last lap to take the victory. 

Women's Team Sprint

Great Britain secured the world title in the women's Team Sprint with a time of 45.949 beating rivals from the Netherlands in the gold-medal round of the three-rider, three-lap event.

The British team included Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane and Katy Marchant, who went up against Dutch riders Kimberly Kalee, Hetty van de Wouw and Steffie van der Peet on the opposite side of the track.

Great Britain held the lead for all three laps, crossing the line with the world title as Netherlands settled for silver with a time of 46.593.

Australia's team of Kristina Clonan, Alessia McCaig and Molly McGill secured the bronze medal in their race against Germany's Lara-Sophie Jager, Alessa-Catroina Propster and Clara Schneider.

Men's Team Sprint

The Netherlands defended their world title in the men's Team Sprint, and added a sixth world's victory to their nation's palmares in the event, closing out the opening day at the Track World Championships in Ballerup.

The Dutch team of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg went up against the Australian team of Thomas Cornish, Ryan Elliott and Leigh Hoffman in the gold medal round.

The Australians had the faster first lap, but the Dutch team was faster on the final two laps securing the world title with a time of 42.046, while the Australians settled for the silver medal for the second year in a row, in a time of 42.673.

Japan earned the bronze medal as Yoshitaku Gagasako, Yuta Obara and Kaiya Ota finished with a time of 42.877, beating Great Britain's Marcus Hiley, Harry Ledingham-Horn and Joseph Truman's fourth-place time of 43.322.

The UCI Track World Championships resumes on Thursday with finals in the men's and women's Team Pursuit, women's Elimination Race, men's Keirin and men's Scratch Race.