# Lavreysen back on top at Track World Cup in Hong Kong

*By Simon | April 18, 2026*

---

![UCI Track World Cup: Hong Kong](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/harriewins.jpg)

## 󠀁[Lavreysen back on top at Track World Cup in Hong Kong](https://globalkeirin.com/2026/04/lavreysen-back-on-top-at-track-world-cup-in-hong-kong/)󠁿

18 April 2026

World champion
[Harrie Lavreysen](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/harrie-lavreysen/) decisively
reclaimed the top step of the podium as the UCI’s 2026 Track World Cup resumed
in Hong Kong.

He powered to victory with a lead of more than a third of a second – a lot by
elite standards – to [Kaiya Ota](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/kaiya-ota/) in
second, and [Shinji Nakano](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/shinji-nakano/) just
behind in third. Indeed, the gap back to the Japanese riders was so great, they
aren’t even visible in the finish-line camera’s photo.

Lavreysen was drawn one, directly behind the derny, and in position to dominate
the race if he wanted. But he was relaxed enough to let three riders pass him
before hitting full power as the bell rang – and nobody could stay with him.

France’s [Tom Derache](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/tom-derache/), winner of
[the day’s most eventful race](https://globalkeirin.com/2026/04/kiriltsev-finishes-on-foot-to-progress-at-hong-kong/)
, was fourth, ahead of hometown hero
[Cheuk Hei To](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/cheuk-hei-to/) and
[Zhiwei Li](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/zhiwei-li/).

Like many of the top riders, Lavreysen had opted out of the competition’s first
round,
[a month ago](https://globalkeirin.com/2026/03/amazing-awang-snatches-keirin-gold-in-perth/)
. The winner in Perth, Malaysian superstar
[Azizulhasni Awang](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/azizulhasni-awang/) was
absent from Hong Kong; he is putting everything into an emotional home farewell
event in Nilai next week.

### 󠀁[UCI](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/)󠁿 > 󠀁[Track World Cup](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/)󠁿 > 󠀁[2026](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/bf1509f7/)󠁿 > 󠀁[Round 2](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/bf1509f7/ebdb2c93/)󠁿⏎ Final

<table>
        <tr><th colspan="4">Details</th></tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2">Velodrome</td>
            <td colspan="2"><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/velodrome/hong-kong/">Hong Kong</a></td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2">Date</td>
            <td colspan="2">18 Apr 2026</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="4">UCI Track World Cup 2026 Round 2 : Final</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="4">Result</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Pos</th><th>Nat</th>
            <th>Rider</th>
            <th></th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
                <td><span>1</span></td>
                <td>NED</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/harrie-lavreysen/">Harrie Lavreysen</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>2</span></td>
                <td>JPN</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/kaiya-ota/">Kaiya Ota</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>3</span></td>
                <td>JPN</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/shinji-nakano/">Shinji Nakano</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>4</span></td>
                <td>FRA</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/tom-derache/">Tom Derache</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>5</span></td>
                <td>HKG</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/cheuk-hei-to/">Cheuk Hei To</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>6</span></td>
                <td>CHN</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/zhiwei-li/">Zhiwei Li</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr></table>

Missing from the final was the Dutchman’s main rival of recent seasons,
[Matthew Richardson](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/matthew-richardson/): he had
only managed fourth place in his semi final, putting him in a stellar minor
final which featured four of the current top five in the UCI’s world sprint
rankings.

![UCI Track World Cup: Hong Kong](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/AW5_5506-1124x750.jpg)

_Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com_

### 󠀁[UCI](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/)󠁿 > 󠀁[Track World Cup](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/)󠁿 > 󠀁[2026](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/bf1509f7/)󠁿 > 󠀁[Round 2](https://globalkeirin.com/event/4162d0bb/c93e79c7/bf1509f7/ebdb2c93/)󠁿⏎ Final Minor

<table>
        <tr><th colspan="4">Details</th></tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2">Velodrome</td>
            <td colspan="2"><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/velodrome/hong-kong/">Hong Kong</a></td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2">Date</td>
            <td colspan="2">18 Apr 2026</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="4">UCI Track World Cup 2026 Round 2 : Final Minor</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="4">Result</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Pos</th><th>Nat</th>
            <th>Rider</th>
            <th></th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
                <td><span>1</span></td>
                <td>AUS</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/leigh-hoffman/">Leigh Hoffman</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>2</span></td>
                <td>AIN</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/nikita-kiriltsev/">Nikita Kiriltsev</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>3</span></td>
                <td>GBR</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/matthew-richardson/">Matthew Richardson</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>4</span></td>
                <td>TTO</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/nicholas-paul/">Nicholas Paul</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>5</span></td>
                <td>CHN</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/han-xie/">Han Xie</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr><tr>
                <td><span>6</span></td>
                <td>ISR</td>
                <td><a href="https://globalkeirin.com/rider/mikhail-yakovlev/">Mikhail Yakovlev</a></td>
                <td></td>
            </tr></table>

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** uci, ucitwc