Karaliok makes Belarus happy by his win in scratch on the final day

On the last day of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Minsk the local public who filled the stands of the Minsk Arena velodrome was rewarded by a spectacular victory of Yauheni Karaliok in the men’s scratch concluding the program of the event.

Team KGF (Great Britain) claimed the gold medal in the men’s team pursuit. The British champions in the final overcame the challenge of the Russian Lokosphinx team, who ended as silver medalists. Russia national team rounded off the podium places beating France.

Dutch rider Matthijs Buchli of Beat Cycling Club won the men’s sprint competition after he triumphing in straight rides against Vasilijus Lendel of Lithuania in the final. The bronze medal was earned by Buchli’s compatriot and team-mate Theo Bos, who won both races against Poland’s Mateusz Rudyk.

There was further Dutch success in the men’s omnium competition with Jan-Willem van Schip claiming gold in the end of the four discipline event. Having won the scratch and tempo races, the 23-year-old topped the standings at the halfway stage. He remained in pole position by finishing third in the elimination race before sealing the victory by finishing the points race on a total of 134. Poland’s Szymon Sajnok finished five points behind to earn silver, with Loksoshpinx’s Russian rider Mamyr Stash completing the top-3 on 110 points.

Germain duo of Pauline Sophie Grabosch and Emma Hinze secured victory in the women’s team sprint competition. The pair was faster in the gold medal ride than Lithuania’s Migle Marozaite and Simona Krupeckaite earning silver. South Korea’s Kim Wongyeong and Lee Hye-jin won the bronze medals.

Lee also finished as the runner-up to Belgium’s Nicky Degrendele in the women’s keirin event as Ukraine’s Liubov Basova rounded off the podium.

Italy’s Letizia Paternoster and Maria Confalonieri dominated the women’s Madison after they achieved a total of 29 points in the 20km race. The Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters claimed the silver medals on 26 points and Russia’s Maria Novolodskaya and Olga Zabelinskaya won bronze with 25.

The final event of the World Cup saw Belarus’ Yauheni Karaliok triumph in front of a home crowd in the men’s 15 km scratch race. Portugal’s Ivo Oliveira finished second with Ukrainian Vitaliy Hryniv taking bronze.