Kopecky and Bossuyt capture world title in women's Madison

Track cyclists Lotte Kopecky (26) and Shari Bossuyt (22) secured the gold medal for Belgium in the Women’s Madison (team race) at the 2022 UCI Track World Championships on Saturday.

As the only duo, the Belgian pair managed to to lap the field at the Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France. With 32 points, they narrowly beat France (31pts). The bronze medal went to the Danes (23 pts).

This latest win marks the second consecutive gold medal for Belgium at the Track World Championships in two days' time, both secured by Kopecky. On Thursday, the track cyclist from Rumst (Antwerp province) had already captured the world title in the elimination race. Earlier on Friday, she finished sixth in the omnium. In the men's competition, fellow countryman Fabio Van den Bossche took home bronze in the points race on Friday.

Kopecky and Bossuyt initially thought the French team had won, "until our coach came to tell us that we were indeed the world champions. The feeling that followed is hard to describe."

Shari Bossuy, less experienced than her teammate, rode a world championship for the first time alongside Lotte Kopecky but immediately took gold. The final happened "in a veritable chaos", said the West Flemish cyclist. "After the finish, we looked at the screens in the hall and there we suddenly saw that the French were shown in first place and not us. For a moment I thought this was the real final score, until our coach came to tell us that we were indeed the world champions. The feeling that followed is hard to describe."

Kopecky now has two World Cup gold medals in the team race under her belt. Together with Jolien D'hoore, she had already won the world title in this discipline in 2017.

On Sunday, Kopecky will still defend her world title in the points race.

(BRV)

Lotte Kopecky (left) and Shari Bossuyt (right) were the only duo to lap the field during the Women’s Madison final © PHOTO ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP