Belgian track cyclists make history at the World Championships

17/04/2017

Belgium was successful in winning five medals in the track cycling World Championships in Hong Kong. The riders Jolien D’hoore and Lotte Kopecky made history when they took the first ever world title in the women's madison.

A strong Belgian selection, including Olympic medal winner Jolien D’hoore, set off to Hong Kong with high expectations for the track cycling World Championships. It was D’hoore who immediately got the Belgian team onto the right track. Indeed, she raced her way to a bronze medal in the scratch race. Two days later Kenny De Ketele rode his way to bronze in the points race. During the World Championships our compatriot was also selected by the athlete's commission of the International Cycling Association known as UCI.

The true Belgian climax was for Jolien D’hoore and Lotte Kopecky. This team of two dominated the points race to successfully become the very first world champions in the discipline and, in doing so, made Belgian cycling history. Things were topped off on the last day of the World Championships by the duo Kenny De Ketele and Moreno De Pauw, and Nicky Degrendele. De Ketele and De Pauw took the bronze medal in the points race, while Degrendele also raced to bronze in the Keirin.