Guillemette elimination race runner-up in third round of the track Champions League

For the first time in the 2022 UCI Track Champions League, Canadians didn’t win a race. But in Saturday’s third round in St-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France, Mathias Guillemette was runner up in the elimination race, and Kelsey Mitchell–celebrating her 29th birthday–and Maggie Coles-Lyster both took third places. Sarah van Dam had a tough day, crashing out of the scratch.

Going into the third round in St-Quentin-En-Yvelines Kelsey Mitchell was second in the women’s sprint competition after winning the keirin last week in Berlin. Mathias Guillemette led the men’s endurance category. Sarah van Dam sat fourth and Maggie Coles-Lyster sixth in the women’s endurance.

The first Canadian on the boards was Kelsey Mitchell following the derny in the women’s keirin first round. Mitchell won Heat 2 to head to the finals.

WOmen’s Keirin Semi-finals Heat 2 : Kelsey Mitchell ?? and Shanne Braspennincx ?? are qualified! Happy birthday Kelsey!?#UCITCL #UCITrack pic.twitter.com/YrHISOaDSQ

— UCI Track Champions League (@UCITCL) November 26, 2022

In the women’s keirin final, Mitchell had some tough competition, including three Dutch riders, but she didn’t have to worry about sprint category leader Martha Bayona. Mitchell took Position 2 behind the derny. They all went hard as soon as the derny dropped off. It was Steffie van der Peet who raised her hand in victory, with Mitchell third.

Van Dam and Maggie Coles-Lyster were ready for the women’s scratch race, where Coles-Lyster placed fifth and van Dam came 11th last week in Berlin. Twenty laps awaited the 17 riders. The first attack from an American and an Italian was brought back. Brit Sophie Lewis lit out for glory at the midpoint of the race. Van Dam came together with Rachele Barbieri and crashed with three laps remaining. Coles-Lyster was fourth.

Dylan Bibic, who crashed out of Berlin’s scratch before winning the elimination, was with Guillemette in the men’s scratch. Bibic was clad in his scratch rainbow jersey. The Canadians attacked on the first lap but were brought to heel. The Spaniard Sebastian Mora attacked and held his lead until the end. Bibic came eighth and Guillemette lost his category lead by placing 14th.

Mitchell gathered herself for the women’s sprint first round. She was now tied for first place in the endurance category with French world sprint champion Mathilde Gros. The Olympic Games sprint gold medalist was pitted against van der Peet again in Heat 5, along with Brit Emma Finucane. Finucane led out but van der Peet wanted Position 1. Mitchell came around her to claim the victory.

In the women’s sprint semi-final, Mitchell was matched with Gros and Laurine van Riessen of the Netherlands in Heat 2. Mitchell slipped down the track to assume Position 1, but Gros was keen to lead. Van Riessen dove down to grab a huge lead but Gros nipped her at the line. Mitchell was third.

How would van Dam’s wreck in the scratch affect her in the women’s elimination? She was fifth in Berlin, while Coles-Lyster raced to eighth. There is no dreading blinking lights in the Champions League, which leads to some confusion. There were three DNS’s, which meant there was a little more room on the boards. Tsuyaka Uchino of Japan was the first to get the hook. Van dam was the eighth eliminated. Coles-Lyster was into the final four and then there were three. That’s as far as Coles-Lyster went, but she rose to fourth in the women’s endurance category.

The last Canadians to compete on Saturdays, Bibic and Guillemette charged their batteries and headed out in the men’s elimination. A Spaniard was the first to bid adios to the field. Guillemette was playing a dangerous game at the bottom of the track. Last week’s victor Bibic was the eighth to get yanked. Guillemette was into the final four. Soon Guillemette and Brit Oliver Wood were the only fellows left and Wood prevailed. Guillemette loses the endurance category lead but only drops to second.

The last two rounds are December 2 and 3, both in London, England.