Hinze secures women's Sprint title for Track Champions League

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Emma Hinze of Germany won the Women’s Sprint title for the inaugural UCI Track Champions League Saturday night in London at the Lee Valley VeloPark. She held a slight two-point lead over compatriot Lea Friedrich going into the fourth and final round, which was held In front of a sell-out crowd of over 5,500 spectators.

Hinze would seal the overall winning margin of 10 points on the closing night of the weekend doubleheader in London by taking fourth in the Keirin final and winning the Sprint final, while Friedrich failed to reach the Sprint final and finished sixth in the Keirin. Kelsey Mitchell (Canada) finished third overall with 102 points, 26 off the mark set by Hinze.

The two Germans were expected to match up for the Women’s Sprint final, but. Kelsey Mitchell (Canada) beat Friedrich by just 0.11 seconds in the semi-finals to line up against Hinze. After a calculated and steady start, Mitchell made the first big move but was unable to outpace Hinze. The result allowed Hinze to extend her lead, while Friedrich continued to hold a margin over Mitchell.

In the Keirin final, Friedrich was positioned behind the derny and followed by Hinze. In the last two laps, both riders showed signs of fatigue, with the win taken by Olena Starikova (Ukraine) just ahead of Mitchell in second place. Hinze punched the air as she finished third, just ahead of Friedrich, as she realised she would hold onto the overall title. 

“I’m really proud that I take the jersey home because it was really close today and I didn’t know how the race would go and how much strength I can find in my body because I’m really, really tired. I think it was harder than the Olympics today because of two days of racing,” said Hinze, a five-time UCI World Champion.

”I’m pretty proud, happy and really satisfied. Of course, my goal was to win but I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never done it before. I knew it was going to be hard. I just try my best and I don’t think about the overall win, just heat to heat.”