Tickets for the British leg of cycling’s UCI Track World Cup are now on sale. Spectators are likely to see one of the best world class quality fields ever assembled on British soil in three days of competitive action.
The UCI World Cup competition in Manchester from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th February is the finale to the four event series that will have travelled around the world from Sydney in November to Moscow in December and Los Angeles in January. The sport’s elite riders from the top 30 ranked countries will gather for the final showdown that decides the overall series winners in each cycling discipline and the award for the top nation.
The Manchester event will have an extra edge being the last major competition before the UCI track world championships in Palma de Mallorca in March. Each nation is expected to field their best medal prospects in preparation for their world title bids. The teams will be announced by their national federations around a month before the event but all the big names are expected to be there.
Britain has high hopes for medals in both the men’s and women’s events but the British entry will be dependent on form, fitness and ultimately team selection. Former world champions Chris Newton and Rob Hayles are likely to head up the strong British Men’s pursuit team renewing old rivalries with their Australian counterparts. World champion Chris Hoy had announced his focus on the team sprint event after he took the kilometre time trial crown at the world championships in Bordeaux earlier this year however the 30-year-old Scot may be tempted back to ride in front of a home crowd in the coveted champion’s rainbow jersey.
Britain’s Victoria Pendleton has become a force to be reckoned within world class women’s sprinting and will certainly be looking for revenge over Natallia Tsylinskaya from Belarus after she took her world championship sprint crown this year in France.
Former world and Olympic track champion Chris Boardman expects the event to be very important for the top athletes preparing for the world championships.
“It’s the final chance for riders to see their major competitors in action before the world championships,” said Boardman: “We are likely to see some of the fastest times and the best competition in the last world cup event.
“It will be a bit special for the British riders to perform in front of their home crowd,” he added: “They will approach the competition in the same way but what changes is the reward. It’s great to see look up at the crowd and see people you recognise.”
Day ticket prices start at only £12 for adults and £6 for under 16.* There are also discounted day family ticket options available – 2 adults and 1 U16 for £27 or 2 adults and 2 U16 for only £30.* If you’re an early bird booking your day tickets by December 24th, you can get best seats in the home or back straight for only £15 adults and £7.50 under 16.*
And if you want to see the thrilling action over all three days there’s an excellent value special season ticket at for £30 adults (£15 U16) in standard seats and £40 adults (£20 U16) in premium seats.*
It’s simple to book your tickets on line at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or you can call the dedicated ticket hotline on 0871 2302621. More detailed information about the event can be found on www.worldtrackcycling.com.
*Service and postage charges will apply from Ticketmaster
