The penultimate day of the 2024 Tissot UCI Track World Championships left a special mark at the Ballerup Super Arena as Denmark, with Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth, won the women’s Madison. Anna Morris from Great Britain claimed the title in the women’s individual pursuit, Iana Burlakova (AIN) dominated the women’s 500m time trial and Belgian Lindsay De Vylder finished off the evening’s action by winning the men’s Omnium.
Danish triumph in the Madison
Very active from the start of the race, totaling 120 laps, the Danish duo Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth sealed the deal in the second part, reaching a final tally of 46 points, ahead of France’s Victoire Berteau and Marion Borras (43 pts).
Both teams claimed 20 points as they lapped their rivals, while Great Britain’s Neah Evans and Katie Archibald made the most of the sprints to edge the Netherlands and claim the bronze medal (42 pts vs 39).
“It means a lot”, Leth said as she wraps up her professional career. “My entire family is here, or close, and my friends… It’s amazing to do it in front of our home crowd, and just to do it with Amalie. We’ve been on such a wild ride together, chasing goals, having highs and lows together, to share this experience in our last UCI World Championships together, we couldn’t dream of a better way. I’m really really proud of all the hard work we’ve put in.”
Morris overtakes Dygert
Great Britain’s Anna Morris displayed disbelief when realising that she had gotten the better of USA’s Chloé Dygert in the individual pursuit final.
The American star had beaten her own world record in the qualifying (3:15.663) but she couldn’t resist Morris in the final: 3:16.560 vs 3:16.877.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all”, Morris said as she took her second rainbow jersey of the week (women’s team pursuit). “It’s my second individual international podium and first individual win so it’s huge. I’ve learned a lot from the squad in Manchester. I’m really lucky to have the couple of riders I do around me. To be able to feed off that and come in today like I did… I’m speechless really.”
In the final for bronze, New Zealand’s Bryony Botha beat Germany’s Franziska Brausse (3:21.086 vs 3:24.620) to take a third UCI World Championships medal in the individual pursuit.
Burlakova dominant in the 500m time trial
Returning to the UCI Track World Championships three years after she took silver in the team sprint and bronze in the keirin, Iana Burlakova (AIN) stunned with her performances in the 500m time trial.
With the best time already in the qualifying, ahead of the British trio Katy Marchant, Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell, the 24-year-old sprinter maintained her dominance in the final and claimed her first Elite rainbow jersey (32.863).
Capewell (33.010) and Marchant (33.119) joined her on the podium, taking Great Britain’s first medals in the event since 2013.
De Vylder takes home the Omnium
The men’s Omnium tested the riders’ resilience all day long and delivered a thrilling finale, with the podium positions not settled until the very last sprint of the points race.
Starting the final race in 5th position overall, Lindsay De Vylder went on the attack to become the first Belgian to claim a UCI World Champion title in the Omnium, with a total points tally of 150.
Italy’s Simone Consonni’s consistency brought him the silver (138 pts) and the Netherlands’ Yanne Dorenbos surged at the last moment to secure the third step on the podium (128 pts vs 127 for France’s Oscar Nilsson-Julien who finished fourth).
Last fireworks on Sunday
Five UCI World Champion titles remain up for grabs on the fifth and final day of competition.
The men’s individual sprint will be one of the highlights, with Harrie Lavreysen (NED) battling it out with Ota Kaiya (JPN) and Jeffrey Hoogland facing Nicholas Paul (TTO).
The other events on Sunday are the women’s keirin, the women’s points race, the men’s elimination race and the men’s Madison.