Cycling fans in France and Germany are set to experience the high adrenalin racing of the UCI Track Champions League for the first time, as two new world class venues join the series as part of a reworked calendar for 2022.
Velodrom Berlin and the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (SQY) just outside Paris will host rounds two and three respectively, as part of the five-round season kicking off in Mallorca on November 12th. Just as in 2021, London will again host the double-header grand finale on December 2nd and 3rd. These two new velodromes are held in the highest regard having both welcomed UCI World Championships for track cycling in the past and the SQY Velodrome in Paris has been selected to host the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The UCI Track Champions League will continue its unique format, bringing unpredictable, short format racing and technological fan experience to thousands trackside and millions of TV viewers around the world.
The Race Schedule:
Round 1 – Super Launch – November 12 – Palma, Mallorca, Spain – Velòdrom Illes Balears
Round 2 – November 19 – Berlin, Germany -Velodrom Berlin
Round 3 – November 26 – Paris, France -Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Round 4 & 5 – Grand Finale – December 2-3 – London, U.K. – Lee Valley VeloPark
Equal Prize Money for Male & Female Athletes
The 36 male and 36 female riders competing for victory in the League’s Sprint and Endurance categories will receive a prize pot totalling more than €500,000. Which once again will be equal for both male and female riders as part of the League’s commitment to gender equality in the sport.
Prize money will be awarded for places 1-10 in every race throughout the series, with race winners receiving €1,000. The overall winner of each category will also receive €25,000, with prize money allocated for each place in the overall standings.
The Leader’s Jersey
The second season will again have a leader’s jersey that will be worn by the leading male and female riders in the series’ Sprint and Endurance categories. Each rider will keep the same race number throughout the competition and will have their own personal sponsors featured on the skinsuit.
Global Broadcast Distribution
The UCI Track Champions League will benefit from an extensive global broadcast distribution strategy with the aim of reaching and engaging as many cycling fans as possible. The race’s five rounds will be extensively broadcast across Discovery-owned channels including Eurosport linear, OTT as well as GCN+, Discovery+ and the GCN Racing digital channels.
As part of the League’s ambition to reach a wider audience for the sport and attract new fans, distribution partnerships with top tier broadcasters have also been agreed. Further details on broadcast partners will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Sporting Format Explained
The UCI Track Champions League is a league format where every round features the same race programme. Riders score points across the five rounds in either the Sprint or Endurance category. Each category has two different types of races in which competitors can accumulate points: Sprinters race both the Sprint and Keirin while Endurance riders race both the Elimination and Scratch. 18 riders will compete in each category, totalling 72 riders: 36 men and 36 women.
Rankings within the UCI Track Champions League are determined by points allocated to riders from their performance in each race. Points will accrue in a league table and the overall winner in each of the categories will be the rider with the most points at the end of the series. At the end of each round the four current leaders of each category (two male, two female) will be awarded the coveted leader’s jersey to wear at the next event.
