Irish cyclist Lara Gillespie claimed the gold medal in the points race on the final day of the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai, securing her second career world title and adding another rainbow jersey to her collection following a tactical 100-lap contest.
Lara Gillespie produced a sensational ride to secure the world title in the women’s points race at the Chongming Shanghai Velodrome in Shanghai, China. The 25-year-old Wicklow rider navigated the 100-lap, 25km event with precision, ultimately claiming a table-topping 42 points to finish five clear of her nearest competitor.
The victory marks Gillespie’s second world championship triumph, following her gold in the elimination race at last year’s championships. It also builds on her earlier success at these championships, where she narrowly missed gold in the scratch race after a tight photo finish against Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes.
Tactical Masterclass in the Shanghai Velodrome
The points race is notoriously demanding, requiring competitors to contest 10 separate sprints held every 10 laps while keeping track of cumulative standings at high speeds. Gillespie proved to be the most astute rider on the track, securing maximum points in the second and fifth sprints and joining Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen and Belgium’s Shari Bossuyt as the only riders to lap the main bunch for 20 bonus points.
Heading into the final sprint, just a single point separated the top contenders. Gillespie executed her final effort to finish second in that sprint, cementing her victory with 42 points. Dideriksen finished second overall with 37 points, while Bossuyt took bronze with 35 points.
You have to look at the board after every lap to see where you are at and do some maths, figure it all out when you are going 60km/h.
I went in with tactics, but you have to completely act in the moment,
Gillespie noted regarding the frantic nature of the race. It was a really fun race.
Turning Scratch Race Frustration into Gold
Gillespie’s dominant ride on Sunday was fueled in part by her narrow defeat days earlier. On the opening Wednesday of the competition, she settled for silver in the scratch race, finishing mere millimetres behind Wiebes in a finish that left her visibly frustrated.
I came really close the other today and I think that really just pushed me on there today because I was really annoyed with that second place.
Reflecting on her emotional breakthrough on the podium, Gillespie emphasized the collective effort behind her success, acknowledging the support from national governing bodies and her personal support network back home.
We’re a small but mighty country and we can show up on the world stage and it shows we can compete at the highest level and keep going.
Building Toward the Los Angeles Olympics
Beyond the rainbow jersey, Gillespie’s campaign in Shanghai served a vital structural purpose for her multi-year athletic trajectory. Having competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Wicklow athlete has her sights fixed firmly on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles as her ultimate priority.
Her preparation in Shanghai included a fifth-place finish in the women’s omnium—an Olympic track discipline comprising a scratch race, tempo race, elimination race, and concluding points race. By prioritizing consistent top-five finishes and gathering vital UCI qualification points, Gillespie is systematically building her standing for the international cycling calendar.
That’s the event I really wanted to get qualifying points for.