Bibic wins the 2023 UCI Track Champions League endurance title
Coles-Lyster fifth and van Dam sixth in endurance table
Canadian Dylan Bibic took four victories in five rounds of the 2023 UCI Track Champions League to claim the men’s endurance title after Saturday’s final round in London, England. Maggie Coles-Lyster and Sarah van Dam’s consistancy and their one-two in the Paris scratch race earned them fifth and sixth overall in the women’s endurance. All six Canadians finished in the top-10 of 18 athletes.
The Standings Overnight
Bibic led Brit William Tidball–who stacked a packet of points on Friday–by 16 points at the top of the endurance table. Guillemette was 10th. Both Coles-Lyster and van Dam moved up in the women’s endurance category on Friday to fourth and sixth respectively.
As usual during the season, Kelsey Mitchell and Laurianne Genest were the first of the Canadian contingent to compete in the women’s individual sprint first round. Genest was put with world champion Emma Finucane of Great Britain and Friday’s keirin victor, Daniela Gaxiola of Mexico. Genest led out over the first couple of laps before Gaxiola blasted around the outside. Neither Canadian nor Brit could catch her. Mitchell drew rising German star Alessa-Catriona Propster and a Dutch rider, who immediately attacked. Mitchell did most of the work to bring her back before the final lap, and then Propster prevailed.
Bibic’s first big moment came in the men’s scratch. Bibic, in the light blue leader’s kit, marked Tidball at the start of 20 laps. A trio took a small gap with 11 laps remaining. Another fellow joined them. Two of the fugitives were Brits, and they went one-two. Bibic placed sixth, far enough ahead of Tidball in tenth to claim the endurance title.
Van Dam and Coles-Lyster’s women’s scratch race was orderly at the beginning of 20 laps. Daniela Gaxiola’s sister Antonieta attacked with 15 laps remaining. Endurance category leader Katie Archibald made a surge to bring her back, with second-place Anita Stenberg trying to hold her wheel. However, it would be two others joining Gaxiola. Neah Evans of Great Britain took the victory, Coles-Lyster fifth behind Archibald and van Dam seventh.
Bibic entered the men’s elimination with one hand on the endurance trophy, a far cry from the 11th place he achieved in 2022. Just after the first fellow got the pull, there was a solo crash. After three eliminations, Bibic was the champ. Guillemette and then Bibic were given the hook back to back, but the all around title went to a Canadian. Guillemette kept his 10th in the table. The race concluded with a Belgian one-two.
Mitchell and Genest ended their 2023 Champions League with the women’s keirin. Mitchell was in the middle while the derny was leading Heat 1 of the first round, but she made a surge with two laps to go, taking a gap. However, Emma Finucane led four riders past the Canadian before the finish line. Genest had Propster in her Heat 2 quintet. Genest held Position 1 when the derny pulled off. Genest attacked going into the bell lap. Propster got the win and Genest held off a Chinese rider to advance. In the final Genest found herself boxed in on the final lap and finished fourth. The Canadians’ final spots in the women’s sprint was eighth (Mitchell) and ninth (Genest).
Coles-Lyster and van Dam’s final chance of the season was in the women’s elimination. A Dane was the first to see her number flash on the board. The Canadians made it into the elite eight, but that’s as far as Coles-Lyster went, and van Dam was next to be yanked. Coles-Lyster finished the season in fifth overall and van Dam was sixth.
