Pruszkow on track for world champs

Track Cycling World Championships

Hosts looking to build on solitary gold

Track cycling has a long pedigree, with the first world championships dating back to Chicago in 1893. Starting out on an amateur footing, separate professional races were held from 1895 and it wasn't until 1993 in Hamar, Norway, that "open" racing took over.

Regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the championships are open to riders selected by their national cycling associations who compete in 10 disciplines... currently including time trial, keirin, individual pursuit, team pursuit, points race, scratch race, sprint, team sprint, omnium and madison.

In 2019 the championships are being held in Poland for the second time, having previously been held at Pruszkow's BGZ Arena in 2009.

The action will take place from Wednesday, 27 February, to Sunday, 3 March, with the BGZ Arena once again the focal point for racing with 20 gold medals up for grabs.

Last year in Holland, the Dutch topped the medals table with five gold, five silver and two bronze, closely followed by Germany with four golds and two bronze medals. Great Britain, Australia and the United States each won two golds, with this year's hosts Poland, achieving a solitary gold to finish joint eighth in the table with Belarus and Colombia.

The British golds came from Ed Clancy, Kian Emadi, Ethan Hayter and Charlie Tanfield in the men's team pursuit, with Katie Archibald and Emily Nelson teaming up for gold in the women's madison.

Archibald and Nelson were on the podium again in the women's team pursuit, this time claiming silver with Elinor Barker and Laura Kenny, with Ellie Dickinson in the team during the earlier rounds.

On the men's side Mark Stewart secured bronze in the points race, with Jack Carlin grabbing two silvers in the individual sprint and the team event alongside Ryan Owens and Jason Kenny, with Philip Hindes and Joseph Truman also taking part in earlier rounds.

The only success for this year's hosts came in the men's omnium, where Szymon Sajnok took gold.

For more information about the UCI Track Cycling World Championships visit the website. Download the schedule of events here.