Track Worlds Day 5: GB Report

TRACK WORLDS REPORT (GB Press Release) — GREAT BRITAIN CYCLING TEAM BRINGS HOME 14 MEDALS FROM 2025 UCI TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Four silver medals were won by the Great Britain Cycling Team on day five of the 2025 UCI Track Cycling World Championships to bring the team’s medal haul to 14 – four gold, eight silver and two bronze – the most they’ve ever won at a track world championships. The final days’ medallists were Emma Finucane in the Women’s Keirin, Anna Morris in the Women’s Points, Matt Richardson in the Men’s Sprint and Josh Tarling and Mark Stewart in the Men’s Madison.

MEN’S SPRINT
Richardson was back on track for the men’s sprint semi-finals against Australia’s Leigh Hoffman. Richardson delivered two stellar rides that proved Hoffman was no match for Richardson, leading by a bike length each time to cement his place in the Gold/Silver medal contest against Harrie Lavreysen (NED).

The first medal ride against Lavreysen wound up slowly, before the speedy wind up started with two laps to go. Richardson used the height of the track to accelerate before dropping down for the chase. The two were neck and neck heading into the final straight before Lavreysen powered ahead over the line to take the first win.

With Matt in lead position, both riders played cat and mouse using the track as much as possible. Richardson picked up the pace with two laps to go, blocking Lavreysen as much as possible. With the sprint on after the final bell, the pair were neck and neck, with Richardson managing to hold off Lavreysen right to the final second before the Dutchman stormed past to claim the title. Richardson would take his second silver medal of the championships; his first representing Great Britain.

WOMEN’S KEIRIN
Emma Finucane started off her campaign well, powering over the top from behind to take the heat win with little contest from her opponents. Lauren Bell delivered a brilliant first ride, having to take the long way round from the back of the bunch. The Scot made up the distance to put herself in contention, however after a fight to the line was pipped to the post by Mathilde Gros (FRA) and would have to ride again. Bell was clearly determined to bag herself a place in the quarter-finals, taking on the repechage with gusto, battling her way to the front to qualify second in a photo finish.

In a cagey quarter-final, Finucane followed Lea Sophie Friedrich (GER) over the top from P5, before being blocked by Iana Burlakova (AIN). Navigating her way round to be neck and neck, Finucane gave one last push over the line in a photo finish, just sneaking the win.

In Lauren Bell’s quarter-final, the action kicked off quickly. Initially boxed in on the black line, Bell manoeuvred herself onto the outside pushing a big acceleration to get shoulder to shoulder with Alessia McCraig (AUS) to take a confident win and secure her spot in the semi-final. As the group bunched into two lines in Finucane’s semi-final, she upped the ante and made a big push over the top, accelerating beyond her rivals to create an untouchable lead and secure her spot in the final.

Meanwhile, an early sprint in Bell’s race saw her respond quickly to move into a strong third position. However, at capacity for two laps, Bell dropped the pace slightly allowing McCraig to sneak through and knock Bell out of the event by a hair’s breadth. In the minor final Bell finished 9th overall after a brilliant string of rides by the young Scot.

The medal final saw a slow start as the riders weighed each other up before the German rider made her move, followed by Miriam Vece (ITA) boxing Finucane in on the black line. Finucane started to drop back in the standings as Mina Sato (JPN) made her move over the top. With less than a lap to go, Finucane made a sensational move getting herself out of the furore and was free to move over the top. Giving it everything with one final acceleration to the line, Finucane flew over the line, just behind Sato to take her first ever world championships medal in the Keirin, a silver.

On her silver medal, Emma says: “I’m really proud, after the sprint I was really gutted and it took me a while to process it but I think bouncing back and doing four rides that I didn’t think even six months ago I was capable of doing. I’ve learnt so much with Scott, he’s amazing and we keep working on it. I had to put a bit of fight into that final but I’m so happy to come away with silver.

“I can take a lot [from this World Championships], they say that the highest, when you win and things, is sweet but you can only feel that when you get the sour with it and I think this week I really felt that. I know how hard it is to win a world championships and maybe I took that for granted but going into the sprint I knew how much I wanted it and I was so disappointed with the outcome. So, today I wanted to really enjoy the racing and get stuck in. It’s year one of the cycle, I’ve got so much more growing to do. I’ve learnt so much this year and to come away with a silver medal individually is really good.”

WOMEN’S POINTS RACE
Anna Morris delivered an incredible points race performance after a packed competition schedule, and her first ever at international level. It was a subdued start to the event as Morris picked up a smattering of sprint points in the first few opportunities while a number of chases broke off before being ceremoniously pulled back into the fray.

With 53 laps to go, Morris launched from the peloton to join a chasing group, dodging a swing up the track by Amalie Dideriksen (DEN) to pick up two more points, putting her in third place. With groups splintering the field and taking laps, Morris made her own attempt as part of a group with Federica Venturelli (ITA) and Bryony Botha (NZL), pushing off the front to eventually take the lap with 34 to go to sit well ahead of the group points-wise with Botha.

As the laps ticked down in this non-stop race, another group of Yareli Acevdeo (MEX), Grace Manley (AUS), Yvonne Stenberg (NOR), Victoire Berteau (FRA) and Barbora Nemcova (CZE) got off the front, with a group of four hot on their heels. Eventually gaining a lap, this put Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Great Britain in contention for the podium with 25 laps to go. With less than 20 laps to go, Morris made multiple attack attempts but found herself heavily marked by the other favourites. With 10 laps remaining, Morris was off the podium and sitting in fifth place. Acevedo launched a surprise attack with eight laps to go, and with the bunch sat up unresponsive, she takes it catapulting her into the lead and pushing Morris further into sixth.

The final two laps saw Morris change up a gear, working her way through the bunch to gradually storm over the top of the group, positioning herself perfectly for a final sprint effort which saw Morris take a fantastic 10 points in the final sprint, moving her up to take the silver medal at the last moment, with Mexico taking the overall win.

MEN’S MADISON
Mark Stewart and Josh Tarling paired up for the first time ever in the men’s Madison and gave us a fantastic performance which earned them the final silver medal of the day. The duo kicked off conservatively, picking up points here and there and monitoring moves from the other teams, keeping across the action and potential threats. With about 50 laps down and GB in fifth place, Stewart moved to the front, using his track experience to manoeuvre through the field before Tarling dropped in ahead of the sprint to take the winning five points. Tarling continued to grind away and push up, easing up until New Zealand, Spain and Italy reached him. With Stewart swapped in the quartet committed before Belgium entered the fray, taking GB with them. GB were leading into the sprint, before and overtake from New Zealand, however the points were enough to push them into second place.

Continuing to push on, the group of five, including GB, picked up a lap with 139 to go. Germany were also given a lap, as Denmark and Portugal worked to do the same. GB made a move for another lap but with the race strung out across the track, ended up in no man’s land. Belgium continued to deliver a dominant performance, as Denmark also picked up their lap. With more sprint points taken, Belgium moved up to the outright lead with Stewart and Tarling sitting comfortably in second. However, at sprint nine, GB make a push for the sprint win ahead of Belgium, swapping places in the standings.

Not hanging around, the two nations continued to push off the group, picking up another 20 points for a lap before Belgium shook of GBR and continued to drive through the group. Stewart and Tarling continued to work well together, attempting moves and staying animated, but Belgium were on them at every turn as Belgium retook the lead. With around 36 laps to go and the pace still frenetic, with riders splintering off constantly, GB used their energy to defend, not attack as they reeled in Belgium and Germany. The three national formed a group, with others latching on to the back and a stalemate appears, essentially cementing the winners at this point.

Great Britain continued to work hard, trying to pick up points where possible and essentially block Denmark and Germany from taking their silver podium spot as Belgium were just too strong to overtake. After a fraught and tactical race, in which Stewart and Tarling worked incredibly well in their first outing together, the duo took home a well-deserved medal to top off a fantastic championships for them and the whole Great Britain Cycling Team.

MEN’S ELIMINATION RACE
The men’s elimination race set off at a ridiculously fast pace and did not subside. GB’s Will Tidball managed the choppy race well, saving himself from dangerous positions a number of times. Tidball stayed out of trouble for the first few eliminations before Grant Koontz (USA) pushed the pace, putting him under pressure and seeing him get boxed in and at risk. Managing to manoeuvre his way back to the outside, Tidball snuck across the line to safety at the expense of Koontz who was eliminated 11th.

A big push from Yoeri Kavik (NED) stretched the race out even further as riders began to tire. Tidball did not bite, instead conserving energy as the race filtered down. With five riders to go, Tidball calmy sped past Ellande Larronde (FRA) to stay safe one final time, before succumbing to the intense physicality of the race and being eliminated, taking fourth place overall.