The Track European Junior and Under 23 World Championships ended today at the World Cycling Centre Velodrome in Aigle (Switzerland).
Like in 2017, Italy was the dominant country with a total of 21 medals (13 golds, 5 silvers and 3 bronzes), beating Russia (9, 6 and 7) and Belgium (6, 4 and 3). This success was due to the total domination of the Italian national team in the Women’s races.
The young Italians won no less than 12 of the 22 titles on offer in the Women’s Junior and Under 23 category especially in the Endurance where the multiple Track Junior World Champion and the Individual Time-Trial European Champion, Vittoria Guazzini won the Omnium, Individual Pursuit, Madison (with Gloria Scarsi, also winner in the Scratch, Elimination and the Team Pursuit with Silvia Zanardi, Giorgia Catarsi, Sofia Collinelli and Camilla Alessio) and the Under 23 Team Pursuit with Martina Alzini, Elisa Balsamo, Marta Cavalli (and previously also in the Individual Pursuit) and Letizia Paternoster, gold medal in the Elimination and Omnium. Italy also won two gold medals in the 500 metres and the Under 23 Sprint thanks to Miriam Vece.
On the other hand, the Russian riders dominated the Sprint races especially with the Junior Yana Tyshenko winner of the four titles on offer: Sprint, 500 metres, Keirin and Team Sprint with Kseniia Andreeva and Anna Dozhdeva.
In addition to Tyshenko’s four medals, were the Men’s with Ivan Gladyshev (Junior Sprint), Alexander Vasiukhno (Under 23 Km) and the Junior Team Sprint.
Russia also won the title in the Women’s Under 23 Madison with Mariia Novolodoskaia and Diana Klimova.
In the Men’s races, Belgium won five gold medals, four with the Junior riders Milan Fretin (Elimination), Arthur Senrame (Scratch) and Fabio van den Bossche who as well as the Omnium also won the Madison title with Nicola Wernimont and one with the Under 23 Jules Hesters (Elimination), meanwhile in the Women’s events the reigning World Champion Nicky Degrendele achieved victory in the Under 23 Keirin.
Also in the Men’s category, France gave a good performance finishing the European Championships with four continental titles: Under 23 Team Sprint, Junior Keirin with Florian Grengbo in addition to the Under 23 Sprint and Keirin with Ryan Helal and Great Britain, gold medal in the Under 23 Team Pursuit, in the Under 23 Scratch with Matthew Walls and in the Under 23 Omnium with Ethan Hayter, also winner in the Madison with Matthew Walls.
Rocco Cattaneo, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: «We have just experienced six action-packed days of a high technical level. Although Italy dominated in the Women’s events, in the Men’s category the racing was very balanced which has sent out an important message for the future. The total number of competitors in the continental event, 317 riders from 25 countries, demonstrates that Track cycling attracts young people and demonstrates the countries great interest in this event.
The success of the Aigle Championships is the result of great teamwork and I would once again like to thank the President of the Union Cycliste Internationale, David Lappartient, for opening the UCI’s doors for us, the Mayor of Aigle, Frédéric Borloz, the Canton of Vaud, with Philippe Leuba and Nicolas Imhof, Swiss Cycling and all the World Cycling Centre staff who worked alongside us at this major event straight after the end of the Junior World Championships.»
The next edition of the Track Junior and Under 23 European Championships will take place in Gand (Belgium) from 9 to 14 July 2019
Information and results #EuroTrack18 – click here
