photo credits @ UCI
With six rounds in as many countries, the 2018-2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup kicks off this weekend. We take a look at all the stopovers of the series that will continue through until the end of January 2019.
France’s National Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is near the city of Versailles, west of Paris. It will host the opening round of the 2018-2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup, on October 19-21, the first time Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines has been part of the World Cup. The velodrome was completed in 2014 and hosted the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, where a number of world records were set. The velodrome also played host to the 2016 UEC European Track Championships and will be the site of the track cycling events for the 2024 Olympic Games. It can hold 6,000 spectators. World Cup competitions for men and women will be held in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, points race, Scratch Race, individual sprint, Omnium, keirin and Madison.
One week after the opening round in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, Canada will host the second round of the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup on October 26-28 at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, near Toronto. This will be the second year that Canada hosts a World Cup round. The Milton velodrome was built for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan Games and is the home of the Canadian national track team. Milton is the only UCI Class 1 homologated indoor velodrome in Canada. It has held multiple national championships and smaller international invitational events. Competition will held for men and women in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, Scratch Race, individual sprint, Omnium, keirin and Madison.
The Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup moves back to Europe for Round 3, to be held in Berlin, Germany, from November 30 to December 2. The velodrome was designed by internationally-renowned French architect Dominique Perrault for Berlin’s 2000 Olympic Games bid. It was built in 1997 on the site of the former Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle. Since opening, it has played host to the 1997 and 2017 European Track Championship, the 1998 Track Cycling World Cup and the 1999 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Since 1997, the traditional Berlin 6-Day race has also taken place here. In preparation for the 2017 European Track Championships, the track was rebuilt, and the track surface completely re-laid with new Siberian spruce. Competition will be held for men and women in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, individual sprint, Omnium, keirin and Madison. In addition, the women will compete in the 500m time trial and the men in the 1000m time trial.
Two weeks after Berlin, the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup heads to London, Great Britain, for Round 4 at the Lee Valley VeloPark, on December 14-16. Completed in 2011, the velodrome was the site of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games track events. It has hosted the World Cup in 2012 and 2014, and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2016. The 6750-capacity velodrome has also been used for the British Revolution track series and was the site of Sir Bradley Wiggins’ successful Hour Record ride in 2015. Competition will be held for men and women in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, individual sprint, Omnium, keirin and Madison. For the first time in the history of the UCI World Cup, and in line with the UCI’s integration objectives, para-cycling events will also be raced during the London stopover.
After a break of one month, the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup resumes in Cambridge, New Zealand, for the fifth round on January 18-20. The Avantidrome was completed in 2014 and is the home of Cycling New Zealand’s high-performance programme. It has permanent seating for 1,500 spectators, expandable to 4,000 for events such as the World Cup. The track surface is constructed of Siberian spruce. The Avantidrome already hosted the World Cup in 2015, as well as the Oceania Continental Track Championships and World Masters Games. Competition will be held for men and women in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, individual sprint, Scratch Race, Omnium, keirin and Madison.
The 2018-2019 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup concludes with the sixth and final round in Hong Kong on January 25-27. The Hong Kong Velodrome is located in Tseung Kwan O, in the New Territories. Opened in 2013, the velodrome hosted the final round of the 2015-2016 World Cup, as well as the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. It has permanent seating for 2,000 spectators, expandable to 3,000 for events such as the World Cup. Competition will be held for men and women in the following events: team pursuit, team sprint, individual sprint, Scratch Race, Omnium, keirin and Madison.
Swiss watchmaker Tissot, a company of the Swatch Group, has been a partner of the UCI since 1995, with the current agreement running through 2020. The latest partnership agreement saw Tissot become the first “World Cycling Partner” in the history of the UCI. Alongside this, Tissot is the exclusive Official Timekeeper of the UCI for the totality of its events and disciplines. As far as track cycling is concerned, Tissot became the first ever title sponsor of the UCI Track World Cup in the 2016/17 season, and the first presenting partner of the UCI Track World Championships. In addition, Tissot is the presenting sponsor of all attempts at UCI Hour Record.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
