Magnificent Morris takes new individual pursuit European title on penultimate day of 2025 UEC Elite European Championships

Magnificent Morris takes new individual pursuit European title on penultimate day of 2025 UEC Elite European Championships

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Anna Morris delivered the standout performance of the day, setting two world records on her way to taking the individual pursuit European title, in the new 4km format for women.

Sophie Lewis also competed in the individual pursuit, finishing sixth overall. In new women’s kilo event, Neah Evans came eighth while debutant Iona Moir finished 18th. Noah Hobbs picked up experience in a well-managed omnium, taking 9th place while Grace Lister made herself known in the women’s points race, finishing fifth for Great Britain, with one day of racing left.

Women’s individual pursuit 

Anna Morris became the first woman to win the individual pursuit European title in its new 4km format, setting a new world record twice in the process.

Against Vittora Guazzini (Italy) in the qualifiers, Morris was fast out of the blocks and led all the way, delivering a steely performance which saw her set an impressive new world record time of 4:28.306.

Anna Morris wins the women's IP at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

The final would see the two go head-to-head again as all eyes were focused on Morris’ potential to beat her own world record. With a smooth start, it was clear Morris meant business and built a comfortable 0.7 second lead early on. As Morris settled into a blistering 57km pace, Guazzini was no match for the Welshwoman who continued to increase her lead, with a peak of over seven seconds.

Within the final kilometre, Morris was up on her earlier world record pace and, heading round the final bend blitzed over the finish line to obliterate it, setting a new time of 4:25.874 and upgrading last year’s bronze to a European gold.

Sophie Lewis began her qualifying race steadily, clocking the eighth fastest time in the first kilometre. The next three kilometres would see Lewis increase the pace, to settle fourth fastest before the two final riders knocked her into sixth position with a time of 4:40.381.

Sophie Lewis in the women's IP at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

Women's points race 

Young rider Grace Lister rode a mature and tactical points race, following the right moves and consistently picking up sprint points to finish just off the podium in fifth place.

Lister settled into the race well, taking points on two of the first three sprints to put her in fifth, just one point behind the tied four riders. The majority of the race was cagey, with many attacks quickly abandoned or pulled back into the main body.

Heading into the halfway point, Lister manage to catch a break of five including Lara Gillespie (Ireland), Maike van der Bruin (Netherlands), Marios Borras (France) and Anita Stenberg (Norway) to take a lap and put her on 24 points and in joint third place.

Grace Lister in the women's points race at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

An attack for sprint points from Stenberg and Martens dropped pushed Lister back into fifth before she managed to follow a wheel in a group of four to take two points in the next sprint, unfortunately not enough to get her in a podium spot.

Ahead of the podium sprint, the lead group including Lister made a break and took another lap, increasing points but making no change to the leaderboard’s top five. At the pointy end of the race, Lister positioned herself well for the sprint in a group of seven but was unable to push all the way to the line and finished a respectable fifth.

Stenberg looking attacking to put herself at the top of the leaderboard, Martens on the chase, taking sprint points pushing Lister into fifth.

Men's omnium 

Noah Hobbs kicked off the omnium with a positive scratch race finishing mid-pack in 14th, getting his four-race event off to a good start. Next, the tempo race saw 26 points accumulated over the 10km race, taking him to 40 points and 11th place overall.

The elimination was predictably tight with no one letting any space appear within the bunch. Hobbs rode consistenly, monitoring the race well and spending the bulk of it mid-pack and well out of the danger zone. With five riders left in the race, Hobbs pushed hard in the sprint before Niklas Larsen (Denmark) snuck round him to knock Hobbs out in a commendable fifth position.

Noah Hobbs in the men's omnium at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

That result saw him move up the rankings to eighth place with 72 points, 26 off the podium heading into the final points race. An animated race saw Hobbs remain calm while other riders attacked in pursuit of a lap-take, to varying degrees of success. 

At the halfway point and with over 30 points separating him from the podium, Hobbs understood what was needed and launched a well-timed attack off the front to take a lap and move up to sixth place.

His position wasn’t safe for long as an eight-man chase group, including the race leaders made a break and managed to take their own lap, neutralising his efforts. With the race coming to its close and no more moves to make, Hobbs took a commendable ninth place finish in the omnium overall.

Women’s 1km TT 

Neah Evans and Iona Moir took on the women’s kilo event in its first outing at a major competition. Evans qualified with a time of 1:07.179, putting her eighth and making her the rider to open up the final where, after a tidy start she put down a slightly slower time of 1:08.015, maintaining her eighth place finish.

Neah Evans in the kilo at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

In her maiden senior European championships, Iona Moir delivered a good time of 1:12.799 putting her 18th fastest which was unfortunately not enough to see her continue in the competition.

Iona Moir in the women's sprint at the 2025 UEC Track Elite European Championships

Tomorrow’s final day of action will see both Madison events, with Matt Walls and Will Perrett for the men and Neah Evans and Maddie Leech contesting the women’s title. In the final sprint events of the championships Lyall Craig, Harry Ledingham-Horn, Rhian Edmunds and Lauren Bell will compete in their respective keirin races.

You can follow along on Instagram via @GBCyclingTeam or @BritishCycling on X or watch on Discovery+ from 12:30 GMT.