News Round-up: Busy day of action at the World Championships and the latest transfers

The track events at the UCI World Championships have delivered a feast of exciting racing and that trend continued on the seventh and penultimate evening of action with a raft of new world champions crowned. Elsewhere, 15 para-cycling individual time trial medals were up for grabs on Wednesday as was the , plus all of the latest movers and stayers as the transfer merry-go-round continues.

| Lotte Kopecky doubles up while Jeffrey Hoogland’s 1km time trial dominance continues

The penultimate day of track action at the UCI World Championships delivered another evening of thrilling racing with a host of medals on offer, including in the women’s points race where Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) doubled up at the Championships.

Having defended her elimination race title on Sunday, the Belgian rider made it two gold medals in three days through a completely dominant performance. By the midway point of the race, the 2021 champion had already built a strong lead over the majority of the field, except Georgia Baker (Australia) and Neah Evans (Great Britain), after the trio all gained 20 points by lapping the field. Evans lost those points after being lapped, leaving Kopecky and Baker to contest the final. Despite the relatively close gap, the win for Kopecky was never really in doubt as she coolly mopped up extra points to finish eight points clear. Japan’s Tsuyaka Uchino mounted a late charge to finish third.

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Lotte Kopecky will have the chance to add a third world title at this year’s Championships in the women’s road race.

There was a Netherlands clean sweep in the remaining able-bodied races of the evening, starting with Jeffrey Hoogland whose dominance in the men’s 1km time trial continued, securing a third consecutive title and his fourth in six years. Australian duo Matthew Glaetzer and Thomas Cornish rounded out the podium in second and third respectively. Then, the Dutch team secured the men’s Madison title ahead of Great Britain and New Zealand.

While the host nation’s gold medal push stalled in the able-bodied events, Great Britain claimed two gold medals in the para-cycling programme, firstly through Frances Brown in the women’s C1 scratch race before the team won the mixed B team sprint. China also enjoyed plenty of success, triumphing in the mixed C team sprint and the women’s C3 scratch race through Wang Xiaomei. In the remaining event, Maike Hausberger (Germany) took her first track world title in the women’s C2 scratch race.

| Lorenzo Milesi dominates to claim under-23 men’s time trial title

Italy claimed their first under-23 men’s individual time trial victory since Adriano Malori in 2008, as a sensational ride from Lorenzo Milesi saw him pip Alec Segaert (Belgium) to the title, with the Belgian having to settle for the silver medal for the second year in succession. It was Hamish McKenzie (Australia) who finished in third, as Milesi became the first non-Scandinavian winner of the event since Marco Mathis in 2016.

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Lorenzo Milesi stormed to the world title.

It was a much busier day on the road in the para-cycling programme today with a total of 14 time trial titles on offer across the men’s and women’s T1 to T2 and H1 to H5 categories.

Canada’s Nathan Clement (T1), Germany’s Maximilian Jaeger (T2), South Africa’s Nicolas Pieter du Preez (H1), Spain’s Sergio Garrote Muñoz (H2), plus Dutch trio Mark Mekenkamp (H3), Jetze Plat (H4) and Mitch Valize (H5) claimed the men’s medals.

Meanwhile, in the women’s categories the titles went to Czech Republic’s Pavlina Vejvodova (T1), Switzerland’s Celine van Till (T2), Italian duo Luisa Pasini (H1) and Roberta Amadeo (H2), Australia’s Lauren Parker (H3), plus Dutchwomen Jennette Jansen (H4) and Chantal Haenen (H5).

| Jayco AlUla secure Mavi García signing

Jayco AlUla has announced the signing of climber and general classification star Mavi García on a two-year deal that will see her ride for the team through to the end of 2025, and to the age of 41. The Spaniard will move over from Liv Racing TeqFind who are merging with Jayco AlUla for the 2024 season.

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Mavi García won the women’s Spanish road race title in June.

García only became a full-time pro in 2018 and she’s accumulated plenty of results in that time, regularly finishing in the top ten at the three Grand Tours including a podium-finish in third at the 2022 Giro d’Italia Donne. She will continue to target stage races, leading the Australian team’s general classification ambitions.

“Mavi has shown that she is a very solid rider that is able to race up front with the general classification contenders,” Brent Copeland, Jayco-AIUIa’s general manager, said of the new signing. “She is not afraid to attack, take risks and we have been impressed with her racing style over the years, despite coming into the WorldTour peloton at a fairly late age. Having Mavi onboard, I think it can change our approach and how we race going forward with having a real target in the Grand Tours which are becoming more and more demanding each season.”

| Mathieu van der Poel reverses decision to race short track cross-country mountain bike

Mathieu van der Poel’s hopes of starting the short track cross-country race at the World Championships tomorrow were only short lived as the Dutchman has been forced to withdraw from the start list, the Dutch national federation has confirmed.

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Mathieu van der Poel will still start the cross-country mountain bike race on Saturday.

The Dutchman was confirmed on the start list yesterday following his success in the men’s road race on Sunday. That victory came after an epic showdown with Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and Mads Pedersen who were unable to stop Van der Poel from claiming the world title, even though he fell in the closing stages of the race. The crash didn’t prove to be costly on the day but it has ended his chances of short track victory with his national team confirming that he was still recovering and would now put his sole focus on the cross-country race on Saturday.

“Mathieu van der Poel skips the short track competition to work towards the cross-country competition with full focus,” the team revealed. “The brand new world champion on the road is still recovering from his crash last Sunday and does not want to force anything towards Saturday.”

| Brandon McNulty and Marc Soler amongst raft of contract extensions at UAE Team Emirates

UAE Team Emirates has announced five new contract extensions for Brandon McNulty, Marc Soler, Rui and Ivo Oliveira, and Vegard Stake Laengen.

McNulty, who has taken four victories and the 2023 American time trial title since first signing for the team in 2020, has signed the longest contract, keeping him on the team until the end of 2027.

Fresh off the back of his efforts at the Tour de France, Soler’s new contract runs through to the end of 2025, as does Stake Laengen’s. Meanwhile, the Oliveira twins have extended through to 2026.

The contract extensions continue what has already been a busy transfer season for the team, having recently announced the signings of Pavel Sivakov, Nils Politt and youngster António Morgado.

| Davide Formolo set to join Movistar

While five riders have committed their futures to UAE Team Emirates, Davide Formolo is set to leave the team after signing a two-year contract with Movistar, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Ciro Scognamiglio.

Formolo’s contract with the team, who he first signed for in 2020, currently runs through to the end of 2024. However, the Italian has now apparently signed on with Movistar through to the end of 2025, although there hasn’t yet been any official confirmation.

| Ethan Vernon signs with Israel-Premier Tech until 2026

Ethan Vernon has signed for Israel-Premier Tech on a deal through to the end of 2026. The newly-crowned elimination race world champion is confirmed to be switching from Soudal Quick-Step in 2024.

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Ethan Vernon celebrates after winning the elimination race at the World Championships.

The young Brit will bolster the team’s sprint options on the road, hoping to emulate the success he’s enjoyed on the track in recent years. Having first turned pro at the beginning of 2022, the 22-year-old has already claimed multiple wins on the road, most notably at the Tour de Romandie earlier this season and the Volta a Catalunya in 2022.

“Having spent the last two seasons racing against the best riders, it has highlighted my strengths and areas I need to work on,” Vernon reflected. “My aim is to become one of the top sprinters in the world and also to be able to separate myself from other pure sprinters on hilly and mountainous races and stages. I am confident I can achieve this with the support of the IPT team.”

| Luke Lamperti steps up to WorldTour level with Soudal Quick-Step

In a busy day for transfers, Soudal Quick-Step has confirmed the signing of American Luke Lamperti who will make the step up to WorldTour level from 2024.

Moving from Trinity Racing where he’s spent the last three seasons, Lamperti has joined the Belgian team on a two-year contract until the end of 2025.

“I have looked up to this team since I was a really little kid and I’m really excited to join them and see where this takes me,” Lamperti said of the move. “Soudal Quick-Step is known for developing young guys and this had a massive impact on my decision to come here. It’s the right fit for me.”