Bibic wins elimination race in 2023 UCI Track Champions League opener

Dylan Bibic put on the top Canadian performance in Saturday’s first of five rounds of the 2023 UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain. It’s the Champion League’s third season. Bibic took the elimination race and came eleventh in the scratch event. Maggie Coles-Lyster placed third in the scratch and fourth in the elimination.

2023’s Canadian Sextet
Women’s sprint: Kelsey Mitchell, runner-up last season; Lauriane Genest
Women’s endurance: Coles-Lyster, 3rd overall last season and seventh in the elimination and eighth in the scratch at the Glasgow Worlds; Sarah van Dam, eighth last season
Men’s endurance: Bibic, 11th last season and silver in the elimination race at the Glasgow Worlds; Mathias Guillemette, 5th last season.

Mitchell was the first Canuck up in the Velodrom Illes Balears in the women’s individual sprint. She was in a semi-final qualifying trio with Ireland’s Orla Walsh and Brit Lowri Thomas. Mitchell came from Position 2 to grab the lead with two laps to go and won at a canter.

Genest started this season wearing a great maple leaf lid. She was set up with Chinese rider Lijuan Wang and Colombian ace Martha Bayona. Genest went high and looked to have made a good outside move going into the final lap but couldn’t get around Wang and Bayona, the latter of whom advanced.

In the semi-final, Mitchell met British world champion Emma Finucane and another Brit, Sophie Capewell. Mitchell started the last lap in Position 3 and could not gain ground on the Brits. Mitchell was fifth on the day and Genest placed 12th.

Bibic and Guillemette were part of the 18-strong men’s scratch gang that took on the boards over 20 laps, very short for a scratch. A breakaway of five shook loose early and grew by two over the next 10 laps. It caught the rest of the riders with 3 laps to go, causing a messy sprint. Guillemette came ninth and Bibic was eleventh.

Coles-Lyster and van Dam started their 20-lap women’s scratch race with 16 others. There was no early bid for glory, but then Katie Archibald animated things with 12 laps to go. Van Dam and an Irish athlete tried to bridge, but it all came back together. Another Brit pounced, drawing an American partner in the breakaway. America’s Lily Williams stuck it out and took the victory. Coles-Lyster, who finished her road race season on the 17th with fourth in the Tour of Gaungxi, placed third.

Guillemette and Bibic got back to work in the men’s elimination race, the race of the dreaded blinking light. There was a massive crash early in the proceedings.

Guillemette was one of the 11 victims. It took a long time to sort everyone and everything out.

With broken bikes and bruised everything, the race was postponed until after the men’s keirin first round. Two fellows didn’t restart a half hour later, and this shortened the race. American Gavin Hoover was the first to get the yank. Guillemette was pulled midway through the contest. Bibic was one of three riders left. The Canadian was paired up with Brit William Tidball, and Bibic was just too much on Saturday.

In the women’s keirin, Genest was the first of the two Canucks to start the derny journey. When the electric bike pulled off it took a while for the riders to wind it out. Genest took a gap into the final lap and won by a good margin.

Mitchell had Bayona among her five opponents. Bayona won the race and Mitchell placed second. Both Canadians would feature in the final.

In the final, Genest grabbed the reins after the derny left the track, Mitchell was Tailgunner Charlie. Kiwi world champion Ellese Andrews was the fastest, Genest placed fourth and Mitchell sixth.

Coles-Lyster and van Dam returned for the women’s elimination race. A Belgian was the first to feel the hook. Both Canadians were in final half. Van Dam got caught inside and was the ninth eliminated. Coles-Lyster had to catch back up with the others in the final four but she could go no further.

The next round is next Saturday in Berlin.