2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships: competitions conclude with Great Britain on top of medal table

Australia and France follow the British in the medal table.

The 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships drew to a close on Sunday in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. Over the four days of racing, the British team racked up 20 UCI World titles, four silver medals and four bronze. They were followed in the medal table by Australia (seven gold, five silver, seven bronze) and France (six gold, five silver and six bronze).

On Sunday, medals were decided in the MC2 and WC1-2 Scratch Race, the men's and women's tandem sprints, the team sprint and the men's and women's omnium. Athletes from eight countries won gold.

Léauté and Reid up to scratch

Twenty-two-year-old Alexandre Léauté has arguably been the best performing French para-cyclist in these UCI World Championships. On the first day, Léauté broke the world record in the Men’s C2 Omnium – 200m flying start, he then won gold on day two in the Men’s C2 1km time trial. On the third day, he added another gold by winning the Men’s C2 3km individual pursuit and to finish off, he won the Men’s C2 15km Scratch race on the fourth and final day. Australia’s Darren Hicks took silver while the bronze went to Spain’s Maurice Far Eckhard Tio.

In the Women’s C1-2 10km Scratch race, two bright shining stars at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships brought home the gold and silver medals as Australia’s Amanda Reid won her second gold and third medal at the championships while Switzerland’s Flurina Rigling, winner of the C2 3km individual pursuit the day before, took silver. Bronze went to Christelle Ribault, of France.

Tough battles in the tandem sprint

In the Women’s B sprint, Great Britain had two tandems in the semi-finals but could get no futher, losing out to Australia (Jessica Gallagher and pilot Caitlin Ward) and Belgium (Griet Hoet and pilot Anneleen Monsieur) respectively.

In the final, Australia started strong with a 11.744sec effort but the Belgian team held the inside line in the second race and took the final into the decider, where they also took the decisive win. The battle for bronze between the two British teams went to Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl.

In the Men’s B sprint, Great Britain again had two tandems in the semi-finals: Neil Fachie - Matthew Rotherham and James Ball - Marc Steffan Lloyd. Fachie and Rotherham beat France two-nil to go through to the finals, while the other British tandem lost to Germany (Thomas Ulbricht and pilot Robert Forstemann).

In the final against the Germans, Fachie and Rotherham proved unstoppable, resulting in Fachie claiming an incredible 15th UCI World Championships title. In the small final, the British tandem of Ball and Lloyd was pushed to a decider against France, where the British duo finally took the bronze.

Great Britain strongest in the team sprint

In the Mixed C1-5 750m team sprint, Great Britain looked to be the favourites once again as they registered the fastest time in the qualification with 49.294secs. France recorded the next best time (49.793secs) and Australia third (50.831secs). In the final, the given favourite won as Great Britain with Kadeena Cox, Jody Cundy and Jaco Van Gass all added to their gold medal collection from the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. France took silver and Australia secured the bronze.

Omnium winners

In the omnium - cumulating points from the 200m flying start, Scratch Race, time trial and individual pursuit - men's gold medals went to: C1 Ricardo Ten Argiles (SPA); C2 Alexandre Léauté (FRA); C3 Finlay Graham (GBR); C4 Jozef Metelka (SVK) and C5 Dorian Foulon (FRA).

The Women’s omnium gold medals were won by: C1 Katie Toft (GBR), C2 Amanda Reid (AUS); C3 Mel Pemble (CAN); C4 Emily Petricola (AUS) and C5 Nicole Murray (NZL).

The 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships conclude after four days of exciting competitions, seeing several world records broken and with Great Britain on the top of the medal table.