Mississauga cyclist wins first-ever Canadian gold at elite track world championships

An accomplished competitive cyclist on the world junior stage the past half-dozen or so years, Mississauga’s Dylan Bibic didn’t miss a beat competing in his first elite track world championship race last week in France.

Competing in the first men’s scratch race Canada had entered since 2010, the 19-year-old Mississauga native bested the field on Oct. 13 in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to capture gold in the 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships event.

It was the first-ever gold medal for Canada in the event, which challenges cyclists to get around 60 laps (15 kilometres) of the indoor track in the fastest time possible.

Kazushige Kuboki, of Japan, grabbed the silver medal while Roy Eefting, of The Netherlands, earned bronze.

The Canadian women’s team pursuit squad finished seventh at the championships.

The Canadian professional road and track cyclist was making his debut at the elite level last week. Bibic previously won the men’s points race at the UCI Junior Track World Championships.

After his victory, in which he won by a wide margin after being second heading into the final lap, Bibic jumped on social media to thank those who’ve helped him over the years.

“…my first elite world title. Thank you everyone who played a part in helping me over the years: volunteers, family, friends, coaches and especially my mom and dad,” he wrote on an Instagram post.

After a day full of emotions powered by Dylan Bibic's win 🌈, day 3️⃣ promises some extra fun at #SQY2022! 💃

Our 🚹 are gearing up for the Time Trial, the IP & the Points Race, while the 🚺 are getting ready for the Omnium 🔥https://t.co/Qav5Cnv9XL

— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) October 13, 2022

Bibic is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having competed successfully over the years at a number of top events, including the Ontario Summer Games.

UCI, or Union Cycliste Internationale, is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms, for all people: as a competitive sport, a healthy recreational activity, a means of transport and also just for fun.

The 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were held from Oct. 12-16 at the Velodrome National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

Dylan Bibic, of Mississauga, took gold for Canada. He’s shown here next to the silver and bronze medalists. (Photo: Dylan Bibic Instagram)