As the 2024 road season wraps up, the spotlight shifts to other cycling disciplines, including track cycling. This year, the Track World Championships took place at the Ballerup Super Arena in Denmark. Although Ballerup is on the opposite side of the country from where I live, Denmark is luckily small enough that it’s just a three-hour drive. We were a bit late when it came to buying tickets, but a few weeks before the event, we were fortunate to get some resale tickets for friday.
My mom and I headed to Copenhagen on Thursday for some shopping and to enjoy a little mother-daughter time. Then, on Friday morning, we made our way to Ballerup for the Track World Championships. We ended up waiting in the car on a parking lot outside the hotel for a few hours until we were able to check in.
Going to the track!
After about an hour at the hotel, we started making our way to the arena to be there when the doors opened at 13:00. Luckily, the hotel was less than one kilometer away, so the walk was not long.
We were among the first to get inside, allowing us to choose where to sit since there was free seating for the afternoon session. However, we decided to find our seats for the evening session, as it felt easier that way, and they were quite good seats. Before settling in, we grabbed some snacks and water for the afternoon. Shortly after, the racing kicked off with the men’s 1-kilometer time trial. It was exciting and a bit surreal to watch the action live on the track. At the start, there weren’t too many people in the velodrome.
As the evening progressed, more people began filling the seats. By the time the first Dane, Robin Skivild, competed in the 1-kilometer time trial, the atmosphere had already started building up. One of the highlights was getting to see the one and only Harrie Lavreysen in action, and he didn’t disappoint—he went on to set the best time in the 1-kilometer time trial!
Next up was the first of four races in the women’s omnium: the scratch race. By this point, the velodrome had filled up with more spectators, and the noise level began to rise, especially as home favorite Amalie Dideriksen put on a strong performance, finishing 2nd in the race.
A new world record
After the scratch race, it was time for the men’s individual pursuit, with big names like Jonathan Milan and Dan Bigham in action. However, it wasn’t either of them who broke Filippo Ganna’s world record from 2022. Instead, it was the young Brit, Josh Charlton, who stunned everyone by beating the record, earning a standing applause from the crowd. 👏 With his record time Charlton was also the best in the qualification, followed by Jonathan Milan and Dan Bigham.
Then it was time for the final race of the afternoon session: the second event of the women’s omnium, the tempo race. After this, we headed to a nearby restaurant for a quick meal before getting ready for the evening session.
A danish medal
As the evening session kicked off, more spectators filled the velodrome, eager to cheer for the riders. The first race was perfect for warming up the crowd, with Danish rider Niklas Larsen riding strongly in the men’s points race. Each time he made a move, the audience on his side erupted in cheers, creating a wave of excitement that rolled around the velodrome.
Larsen was in contention for the win for most of the race and even held the lead until the final sprint. For a moment after the finish, I also thought Larsen had won, as I had lost track of the points. However, it was Spaniard Sebastian Mora Vedri who ultimately took the title, finishing with just one more point than Niklas Larsen. But a silver medale is also very impressive 🥈
Time for the fast ladies
Then it was time to watch some sprinting, and let’s just say they go fast! They’re also very skilled at moving slowly around the velodrome, glancing back at their opponents. It's quite impressive to watch! Take a look below for yourself⬇️
The women then took to the track for their third omnium race: the elimination race. It was intense and nerve-wracking, yet also fun to watch, with the last rider to cross the finish line every other lap being eliminated.
Another world record
It was then time for the finals of the men’s individual pursuit, featuring Dan Bigham against fellow Brit Charlie Tanfield in the final race of his career. At the start, Bigham appeared to be lagging behind, but as the race progressed, he demonstrated perfect pacing, taking the lead towards the end and securing the bronze medal and finishing his career in style!🙌
I also want to mention his bike! On one side, the frame is pink, while the other side features a black frame with pink details on the wheels. The handlebars are split, with one half black and the other half pink. It looked really cool!
Then it was time for the finale in the men’s individual pursuit, featuring the new world record holder, Josh Charlton, going head-to-head with Jonathan Milan. In this final, Mads Pedersen's teammate, as the Danish commentator called Jonathan Milan, won and took the title of world champion. But not only did he claim the rainbow stripes: he also brought the world record back into Italian hands.
After this triumph, the newly crowned world champion was, of course, happy and headed off to celebrate with his family and his team before doing an inerview.
The evening continues
After the individual pursuit, it was time for some more sprinting action before the fourth and final race of the women’s omnium. Going into the points race, home favorite Amalie Dideriksen was in a strong position for a medal, and the crowd was buzzing with excitement every time she made a move. However, the race didn’t go as planned, and despite her efforts, she didn’t manage to secure a podium finish. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the 2016 road race world champion in action—she gave it her all. Perhaps she was saving some energy for what was to come the next day🌈
The final race
Then it was time for the final race of the day—the women’s sprint final between Britain’s Emma Finucane and the Netherlands’ Hetty van den Wouw. Finucane took the win, and once again, I was blown away by just how fast they go. It is quite diffrent to watch on TV compared to watching on TV. By this point, though, the audience wasn’t buzzing as much anymore. Many people had left after Amalie Dideriksen's race, but those who stayed were still cheering for the sprinting women.
Award ceremonies
Then it was time for the winners and medalists to go to the podium. The crowd that remained showed their appreciation with loud cheers and applause as the athletes received their medals, and the iconic rainbow jerseys were presented to the new world champions. When Harrie Lavreysen stood on the podium with his rainbow jersey, I couldn’t help but think how incredible it was that this was his 15th time on the top step at the Track World Championships! I also must admit that we did not stay for the final awards ceremonies as we were both tired after a long day. But we stayed long enough to watch Jonathan Milan get his well-deserved rainbow jersey before heading back to the hotel.
I couldn’t help but notice the size difference too—while Milan is considered big in road cycling, on the track, he’s not quite as "big" as some of the others.
All in all, it was an awesome day and a perfect way to switch gears after the road season, which had just concluded with the Tour of Guangxi. The day was filled with thrilling racing action and an electric atmosphere. I definitely hope this won’t be my last time watching track cycling live—it’s an experience I’d love to relive!
Emotional final days of the World Championships
Although I wasn't there in person, I was glued to the screen for the final days of the Track World Championships, and let me tell you, my Danish heart could barely handle the emotions! Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth became track world champions together for the first and final time in the Madison, as it was their last international race as a duo. It was such a beautiful finish to their story, and I loved seeing how Julie Leth made a powerful comeback after giving birth to her son in January—proving that motherhood doesn’t have to signal the end of a career! And if that wasn’t enough, Julie topped it off by winning the points race on Saturday in her final international event. Wow, just WOW!
Saturday brought even more Danish triumph, with Tobias Aagaard taking his third medal at the championships—this time a gold in the men’s elimination race, making him another Danish world champion.
Sunday was yet another emotional rollercoaster as Michael Mørkøv competed in his final international race before retiring and taking on the role of national road race coach. While he didn’t get the gold he might have dreamed of, he and Niklas Larsen rode a great race to secure the bronze in the Madison, giving Mørkøv a chance to stand on the podium one last time in front of a home crowd. To top it off, both Mørkøv and Julie Leth were honored with farewell laps around the track—a fitting tribute to their incredible careers.
I wish I could have been in the velodrome for those final emotional days, but at least I was able to watch and cheer from home!
Overall, watching track cycling in person was an amazing experience that I will not soon forget. The speed of the riders, the intensity of the competition, and the vibrant atmosphere made it so different from watching through a screen, and i hope i will be able to experience something similar in the future.
While I enjoyed the thrill of the live races, I also cherished the final two days at home, celebrating the remarkable achievements of three Danish gold medalists and witnessing the emotional farewells to two cycling icons.
Thank you for reading along! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my experience at the Track World Championships. It was a thrilling journey, and I can’t wait to share more cycling adventures with you in the future.
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