Olympic gold medalists Kelsey Mitchell (Canada) and Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands) have been named as two of 12 pre-qualified riders for the new UCI Track Champions League.
The five-round series begins on November 6 in Mallorca, round 2 is in Lithuania on November 27, two rounds will be held in London on December 3 and 4, with the final round taking place in Israel on December 11.
Organisers named the six men and six women who will compete in the sprint events, with Mitchell leading the women's field. She'll be up against 2020 World Champion Emma Hinze (Germany), Olympic silver medalist Olena Starikova (Ukraine), Mathilde Gros (France), Simona Krupeckaitė (Lithuania) and Olympic Keirin Champion Shanne Braspennincx (Netherlands).
"I am so excited to be pre-qualified for the UCI Track Champions League and I can't wait to experience the thrill of racing against the best in the world, week after week," Mitchell said.
"Fast-paced and action-packed, this league will be an incredible experience for not only the riders, but the fans as well!"
Lavreysen will face off against compatriot Jeffrey Hoogland, Nicholas Paul (Trinidad & Tobago), Vasilijus Lendel (Lithuania), Maximilian Levy (Germany) and Denis Dmitriev (Russia).
"I'm delighted to have pre-qualified for the UCI Track Champions League," Lavreysen said. "I think the racing format will enable us to connect with existing fans and hopefully help introduce new people to the sport too. It's going to be my biggest focus straight after the World Championships, and I'm really looking forward to getting started."
There will be 12 more pre-qualified riders announced for the Sprint and Endurance events and another 48 participants who will qualify for the league, all to be announced after the UCI track World Championships this month.
