The UCI Track World Championships are the pinnacle of the velodrome calendar, the chance for the best riders in the world to show their speed on the boards. They have been happening in a format since 1893, making them older than the Tour de France, and this year’s are the 122nd.
There are the familiar events from the Olympics, like the team pursuit, omnium and keirin, but also Worlds-specific events like the kilometre TT and the scratch race. There are 11 finals for both men and women, with rainbow jerseys and gold medals on offer. With the next Olympics in 2028, nations will be starting to form their squads.
Quick guide to watching the Track Worlds
- UK: BBC (Free), TNT Sports/Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)
- US and Canada: Flobikes (USD$29.99/mon, CAN$39.99/mon)
- Australia: Stan (from AUD$12/mon + AUD$15/mon sports add-on)
- Free coverage: BBC | UCI YouTube (geo-restricted)
- Anywhere: Watch your usual stream while abroad with NordVPN
How to watch the Track Worlds in the UK
In the UK, this year’s Track World Championships will be shown live and free on the BBC, the country’s public service broadcaster. (To watch the BBC, viewers are expected to have a TV licence, which costs £174.50 a year.) You can watch on terrestrial TV or the BBC iPlayer streaming service.
Fans will also be able to watch all of the events on TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium sports channels, with streaming via Discovery+, which is £30.99 a month. This offering also gains viewers access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s full range of sports listings.
How to watch the Track Worlds in the US and Canada
For North American viewers, this year’s coverage of the UCI Track World Championships is on FloBikes.
FloBikes will be broadcasting in the US and Canada. Subscriptions cost $30 or CA$39.99 a month, with savings for annual plans.
How to watch the Track Worlds in Australia
Cycling fans in Australia can watch the Track World Championships on the Stan Sport streaming service.
You’ll need to add the Stan Sport package ($20 per month) to a base Stan subscription (from $12 per month).
Can I watch the Track Worlds for free?
There are many places around the world where you can watch the UCI Track World Championships for free.
As with all its World Championships, the UCI is providing free streaming live on YouTube for the Track World Champs. Geo-restrictions apply, on the basis that the stream is blocked in countries that have a licensed broadcaster, so that includes the UK and the US.
To check availability in your area, the UCI has a list of blocked territories.
In the UK, as outlined above, the BBC is broadcasting the events, with free streaming available on BBC iPlayer.
Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you’re away from home right now, you’ll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.
How to watch the Track Worlds while abroad
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions in place, meaning they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN, so you can continue to watch the Track Worlds while on the move.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
When are the Track Worlds on?
The UCI Track World Championships take place over five days, with morning sessions taking place each day from 11am local time, and then an evening session beginning at 6:30pm local time. On the Sunday, the final session begins at 1:30pm local time.
UK coverage of the Track Worlds begins at 3pm BST for morning sessions, and 10:30pm for evening sessions.
In the US and Canada, morning sessions begin at 10am EDT, and evening sessions at 5:30pm EDT.
|
Date |
Event |
Reigning champion(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
Wednesday, 22 October |
Women’s Scratch race |
Lorena Wiebes, Belgium |
| Row 1 – Cell 0 |
Women’s team sprint |
Great Britain |
| Row 2 – Cell 0 |
Men’s team sprint |
Netherlands |
|
Thursday, 23 October |
Men’s Team pursuit |
Denmark |
| Row 4 – Cell 0 |
Women’s Elimination |
Ally Wollaston, New Zealand |
| Row 5 – Cell 0 |
Men’s Keirin |
Kento Yamasaki, Japan |
| Row 6 – Cell 0 |
Men’s scratch race |
Kazushige Kuboki, Japan |
| Row 7 – Cell 0 |
Women’s team pursuit |
Great Britain |
|
Friday, 24 October |
Men’s points race |
Sebastiàn Mora, Spain |
| Row 9 – Cell 0 |
Men’s kilometre TT |
Harrie Lavreysen, Netherlands |
| Row 10 – Cell 0 |
Men’s individual pursuit |
Jonathan Milan, Italy |
| Row 11 – Cell 0 |
Women’s sprint |
Emma Finucane, Great Britain |
| Row 12 – Cell 0 |
Women’s omnium |
Ally Wollaston, New Zealand |
|
Saturday, 25 October |
Women’s kilometre TT (now 1km) |
Yana Burlakova, Neutral (over 500m) |
| Row 14 – Cell 0 |
Women’s Madison |
Denmark |
| Row 15 – Cell 0 |
Women’s individual pursuit |
Anna Morris, Great Britain |
| Row 16 – Cell 0 |
Men’s omnium |
Lindsay de Vylder, Belgium |
|
Sunday, 26 October |
Women’s points race |
Julie Norman Leth, Denmark |
| Row 18 – Cell 0 |
Men’s sprint |
Harrie Lavreysen, Netherlands |
| Row 19 – Cell 0 |
Men’s elimination |
Tobias Hansen, Denmark |
| Row 20 – Cell 0 |
Women’s Keirin |
Mina Sato, Japan |
| Row 21 – Cell 0 |
Men’s Madison |
Germany |
See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide
What to expect from the Track Worlds
The year that follows an Olympic Games is reasonably transitional, as teams set up their plans for 2028, blooding younger riders and perhaps moving on from those retiring.
However, there are medals and rainbow jerseys to win, so it is still a big deal, especially as track riders have less opportunities to shine throughout the year. There are fascinating things to watch, from Matt Richardson vs Harrie Lavreysen to Team USA’s new look team pursuit squad.
Read our full guide to the event here.
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