The UCI World Track Championships is one of the oldest series of continuous bicycle races in the world. Because they are held on a track, space was never a problem. This year, they will begin on Feb 27th and finish on March 3rd, 2019. The competition will be held in Pruszków, Poland. There is not much coverage for the series, but if you live in the US or UK, you are set. If you are traveling or live outside of those countries, you would need to use a VPN.
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There are two major ways to watch coverage. The BBC iPlayer is a free service, but you must be located in the UK or be connected to a server there. In the US, the official partner is Universal Sports. Though there is no fee to stream on that site either, you need a cable or satellite subscription and you need to be in the US or be connected to a server there. Again, there may be other ways, but those are the two biggest.
The first championships were held in 1893 in Chicago. At that time, the event was sponsored by the International Cycling Association. Since 1900 however, it has been sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The racers competing then were all amateurs. In 1895, separate events for professionals were held in France. The separation held for 98 years until they again raced together in open races. Cyclists are selected by the national cycling association of each country, and they wear that country’s colors.
The winner of the first race received a gold medal. With the UCI however, winners receive a gold medal and a rainbow jersey that may be worn until the next year’s championship. After that point, rainbow cuffs may be worn on the jersey of winners from previous years. Of course, silver and bronze medals are also awarded to the second and third place winners.
The most successful country by medal count is France. With a staggering 373 gold, silver, and bronze medals in the events, they are far ahead of their closest competitor, Great Britain. Their total medal count is 240. Other strong competitors include the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Germany, and even the Soviet Union.
If you are a fan of track cycling, you won’t want to miss these events. In modern times, the championships include the events of time trial, keirin, individual pursuit, team pursuit, points race, scratch race, sprint, team sprint, omnium and Madison. Given the numbers of events, it is not hard to see why medal count numbers are so high.
If you want to see one of the oldest bicycle competitions in the world, you’ll want to watch this one. If you have friends that enjoy track cycle racing, please share this post with them so they can enjoy the UCI World Track Championships along with you. For the latest VPN deals, you can also follow us on Twitter @VPNFan.