Fabio Van den Bossche Wins Silver in Omnium at Track Cycling World Championships
Fabio Van den Bossche secured a silver medal for Belgium in the men’s omnium on October 17, 2026, at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, finishing behind Portugal’s Iuri Leitao, as reported by Sporza. While Van den Bossche claimed the runner-up spot on the podium after a grueling 100-lap points race, compatriots Lotte Kopecky and Shari Bossuyt faced disappointment in the women’s madison.
How Van den Bossche Secured Silver in Shanghai
Van den Bossche launched an attack during the 25-kilometer event. He collected bonus points during the event. Portugal’s Iuri Leitao ultimately proved too strong, controlling the late stages of the race to seal the world title with 140 points. Van den Bossche finished with 127 points to take silver, while Germany’s Tim Torn Teutenberg claimed the bronze medal with 110 points.
The path to the podium required surviving the elimination race earlier in the session, where the Belgian rider narrowly avoided elimination before finishing fourth. That performance positioned him within striking distance of the medals before the concluding points race. Speaking ahead of the championships, national coach Tim Carswell noted that Van den Bossche improves every year and arrives at major events in peak condition, a sentiment echoed by teammate Lindsay De Vylder in reporting by GVA, who stated that Van den Bossche had been flying during pre-competition preparations.
Van den Bossche reached the lead during the points race after securing a bonus lap worth 20 points, putting him briefly ahead with 124 points before Leitao reclaimed control in the closing stages. Speaking about his heavy road season which included finishing the Vuelta a España a month prior after crashing in the eighth stage, Van den Bossche noted, Dan ga je toch met iets minder frisheid richting tweede en derde week,
while adding that he completed both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta this year, prompting Filippo Ganna to remark, Wie hier aanwezig in Shanghai kan dat zeggen?
regarding riders who finished both grand tours.
Disappointment for Kopecky and Bossuyt in the Madison
Earlier in the program, Lotte Kopecky and Shari Bossuyt finished seventh in the women’s madison with 14 points, falling short of their pre-race podium ambitions. The reigning European champions found themselves unable to match a decisive late-race gain by the leading nations. Great Britain’s Erin Boothman and Anna Morris captured the world title with 40 points, followed by France taking silver and Japan securing bronze, according to race tracking detailed by WielerFlits.
The result compounded a difficult campaign for Kopecky following her seventh-place finish in the omnium. While Kopecky secured a world title earlier in the week in the elimination race, she and Bossuyt could not replicate that success in the 120-lap madison. Meanwhile, the Dutch pairing of Nienke Veenhoven and Lisa van Belle also finished with 14 points, placing eighth behind Belgium on countback after Lorena Wiebes was forced to withdraw following a heavy crash in the omnium.
Upcoming Competition Schedule
Van den Bossche returns to the track alongside Lindsay De Vylder to defend their world title in the men’s madison. Following the conclusion of the Shanghai championships, Van den Bossche’s calendar shifts toward the upcoming winter track season, interspersed with personal commitments ahead of his scheduled wedding on October 31, 2026.
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