Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
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Follow us on GoogleDay two of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships saw many gold medals awarded. After yesterday's qualifying rounds and heats, medals were dished out in the men's Keirin, women's Elimination, and women's Team Pursuit. Below you'll find a round up of the day's races and results.
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Team GB won the 2026 Women's Team Pursuit gold in Shanghai
Gold for GB in women's Team Pursuit
The final race of day 2 saw Team GB's women take on reigning Team Pursuit World Champions Italy. After a strong start from the Italians, GB's Erin Boothman, Anna Morris, Millie Couzens and Josie Knight closed the gap by the halfway point.
Team GB went on to win the gold by over 5 seconds. "It was phenomenal," Knight told Cycling Weekly. "Last year, when we came third, we really wanted more. To come back this year and win in the way we did, with a fresh new team, to come home with a gold is really special."
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Danish dominance continues in the men's Team Pursuit
The mens' Team Pursuit gold was won by Denmark for the fourth year on the bounce. Rasmus Pedersen's quartet defeated and Italian team that included new Lidl-Trek teammates Filippo Ganna and Jonathon Milan.
The Danish team came within a second of breaking their own World Record, which was a shock given the velodrome conditions. The bronze medal race was won by Team GB against France.
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Gold for GB's Matt Bostock in the Scratch race
There had already been a gold medal celebration for Team GB earlier in the day. Matt Bostock won the men's Scratch Race in commanding fashion.
Bostock stole a march on the field, winning solo with time to celebrate. New Zealand's Tom Sexton came third followed by Belgium's Lindsay De Vylder.
The women's scratch race was won on Wednesday (day 1) by The Netherlands' Lorena Wiebes.
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Harry Lavreysen wins another track gold
Harrie Lavreysen has become the keirin world champion for the fifth time. The Dutchman lived up to his status as the top favourite in China and raced to the gold thanks to a cool-headed tactical move. Germany’s Maximilian Dörnbach won silver, while Shinji Nakano took the bronze for Japan.
In a cagey race, Lavreysen took the lead with one lap to go, and no one was able to pass him from there. This is already the second world title of the tournament for the Dutch giant, after he claimed victory in the Team Sprint.
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Emma Finucane progresses toward sprint gold
Britain’s Emma Finucane eliminated the Netherland's Hetty van de Wouw in the quarterfinals of the women's sprint race. Finucane won in two heats: an incredibly exciting first race, and then a convincing second heat. There was no need for a third.
It sets up an exciting Brit on Brit semi final between Finucane and teammate Sophie Capewell on Friday. The winner will advance to the final to face either Yuan of China or Sato of Japan.
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Lotte Kopecky won the 2026 Elimination Race
Kopecky Wins First World Title in Shanghai
Lotte Kopecky has become the world champion in the elimination race. The Belgian rider defeated Japan’s Jumi Kajihara. The bronze medal went to Megan Jastrab of the United States.
The race was incredibly tactical, but Kopecky looked unshakeable throughout. A crash involving Jumi Kajihara led to a neutralisation, though the peloton eventually rejoined the race. But after Valentine Fortin and Alyssa Polites were eliminated, three riders remained.
In the final laps, American Megan Jastrab was eliminated. The gold was up for grabs between Kopecky and Kajihara, but the Japanese rider, who had fallen earlier, no longer had the strength to beat the Belgian.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- How does a team actually get a wildcard for a Grand Tour? Is it mainly based on ranking, or do organisers have more choice? I’m still trying to get my head around how the divisions work.andrewf15-10-2026
- The points gap to the top 18 is huge, so Picnic PostNL’s licence situation sounds precarious. Still, the allegations about conditions within the team deserve proper scrutiny, not just transfer-window speculation.cadencekingm15-10-2026
- Pidcock finishing ninth at the Tour as a ProTeam rider is impressive. WorldTour status would give the squad a more settled calendar, though the obligation to start almost every WorldTour race could stretch a team that’s still building.pedalpowe2915-10-2026
- Pinarello-Q5 are making a serious case on the road, and Ciccone is a big signing. But points alone won’t tell the whole story if Picnic PostNL meet the UCI’s financial conditions.michael5415-10-2026
- The article calls the Giro the likely option, but Seixas has said the Tour is his lifetime goal. That seems a bit premature—wouldn’t the team want him back at the Tour after finishing fourth?gearguru3314-10-2026
- Five weeks between the Tour and Worlds sounds like plenty of time to recover and get ready again. I’d love to see him go for both.sprocketspiny14-10-2026
- Why does the Vuelta start just six days after the Worlds? Do riders ever compete in both, or is that turnaround generally too short?davidm14-10-2026
- He’s had an extraordinary season, but there’s no need to rush him into targeting everything at once. A gradual build towards the Tour could pay off in the long run.lindae14-10-2026
- That Worlds course sounds tailor-made for Seixas. Twenty ascents of Domancy is savage, and racing at home could make it a huge day for him.andrewf14-10-2026
- The Giro looks like a sensible next step: a chance to lead a Grand Tour team without the full weight of the Tour-Pogačar hype. But with Evenepoel and Del Toro potentially on the start list, it won’t be an easy podium.jennifer1914-10-2026
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