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Mitchell and Bibic victorious in the Berlin round of the Track Champions League

Mathias Guillemette leads the men's endurance category after two rounds

November 19, 2022
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Dylan Bibic bounced back from crashing out of the scratch race in Saturday’s second round of the UCI Track Champions League in Berlin, Germany to win the elimination race. Kelsey Mitchell came back from individual sprint relegation disappointment last week in the opening round of the 2022 UCI Track Champions League by winning the Berlin keirin. It was revenge for the Olympic Games individual sprint champion, as she beat the Colombian she was keirin runner-up to in Round 1. Mathias Guillemette, having taken the elimination race in Mallorca, leads the men’s endurance category after two rounds.

Guillemette celebrates Bibic’s triumph.

Kelsey Mitchell’s first event last week in Mallorca, Spain, was the individual sprint, but on Saturday she began her day by following the derny in the women’s keirin first round.

Mitchell contested Heat 1 against Mallorca winner Martha Bayona, world champion Lea Friedrich and two others. She was in the penultimate position behind the derny string for the first two laps. Mitchell moved up the track and dived down, leading into the final lap. Bayona and the Canadian went through and they would go on to face three Dutch women in the final.

Mitchell leads Bayona down the final straight.

The women’s keirin final pitted Colombia vs Canada vs Ukraine vs the Netherlandsx3. Mitchell was right behind the traditionally loud derny and continued to lead once it swung off. Mitchell came around Starikova and then the Canadian and the Colombian had a photo finish. After a couple of minutes Mitchell was announced as the winner.

Next up was Sarah van Dam and Maggie Coles-Lyster taking on the women’s scratch, van Dam coming off of a fourth place performance in Spain. They faced 20 laps, the winner the first over the line. Attacks started early and with two riders leading, the hesitation of the others ensured that the Canadians could only vie for third place. Coles-Lyster placed fifth and van Dam came 11th.

Like the women’s scratch, the men’s scratch was determined by a breakaway. Canada’s world champion Dylan Bibic and three other riders crashed with four laps remaining. Mathias Guillemette was sixth.

Mitchell got her breath back before the women’s sprint first round. She was matched with Brit Emma Finucane and Dutch rider Shanne Braspennincx in Heat 6. Mitchell won with little problem dispatching the sprint category leader Braspennincx.

Mitchell handles Braspennincx in the first round.

In the semi-final, Mitchell had Pole Urszula Los and French world champion Mathilde Gros to contend with. Gros turned up the heat early with Mitchell in Position 2. The Canadian came third, not getting it right.

Van Dam and Coles-Lyster returned to the boards for the women’s elimination, AKA the Devil. Last week Coles-Lyster was fourth and van dam was fifth. Track giant Laura Kenney was the first to get the hook. An American was eliminated but didn’t realize it. Coles-Lyster went out at the midway point to come eighth. Van dam was fifth from last to go.

Coles-Lyster ready for the elimination race.

Bibic was looking for a better result in the men’s elimination. He and compatriot Guillemette were the final Canadians in action on Saturday. Last year’s endurance category winner Gavin Hoover was the first to get yanked. The Canadians survived into the last half and then the final four. Two Canadians and a Brit remained but Guillemette was too fatigued the stay in. Bibic went high and dove down on the Brit on the penultimate lap to take the victory at a canter.

Bibic bounced back brilliantly in Berlin.

The next round is next Saturday in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.