Once every four years the world’s best track cyclists enjoy the Olympic Games limelight and captivate television audiences around the globe with high-octane gladiatorial racing.
For the rest of the time, road cycling rules and the velodrome specialists, outside of powerhouse nations such as Britain and the Netherlands, live a niche existence.
Cycling’s governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), hope that is all about to change as the inaugural Track Champions League was to start yesterday at the Velodrom Illes Balears in Mallorca.
Photo: Reuters
The quick-fire, made-for-TV series featuring 72 of the world’s best riders competing over five weekly rounds is designed to elevate the sport to a new level.
With broadcast partner Discovery Sports Events promising an innovative approach with live rider data and fan engagement, the UCI hopes to hook a new audience and provide riders with the stage to raise their profiles and, more importantly, make a decent living.
Britain’s six-time Olympic track champion Chris Hoy, an ambassador for the new league and who helped devise its format, believes the new series could be a game changer.
“I feel like the sport has always been the poor relation compared to road cycling. So this is what the sport needs, this will give it the boost to take it to the next level,” he said.
The complexities of track cycling, while fascinating for the aficionados, can be mystifying for the casual fans, while even experienced cycling journalists can be left scratching their heads at times during a Madison race.
For that reason, the Track Champions League has adopted a boiled down format with 18 male and 18 female sprinters battling for points in sprint and keirin, and the same number of endurance riders contesting the scratch and elimination races.
Each round of the Champions League would last about three hours, with riders scoring points in every race and results tallied up to decide male and female champions in the sprint and endurance leagues after the final round in Tel Aviv on Dec. 11.
While there are some notable absentees, such as Britain’s golden couple Jason and Laura Kenny, yesterday’s cast in Mallorca was to boast 29 Olympic medals and 63 world titles.
The four overall winners would receive 25,000 euros (US$28,879) with 1,000 euros for the winner of each individual race with equal prize money for male and female riders.
“With the commitment these riders have, they should be getting rewarded,” Hoy said.
Following the Mallorca round, the action moves to Lithuania on Nov. 27, before two rounds in London on Dec. 3 and 4, and the climax in Tel Aviv.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet