TRACK

New kings and queens of the velodrome will be crowned in intense battles of speed and strategy

Expect a cauldron of noise, tension and kinetic energy as riders reach warp speeds racing for a place in the record books. 11 events will be contested, each of them a unique challenge of power, poise, strategy and stamina.

SPRINT

Riders go one-on-one in duels of pure power and gamesmanship. For riders that make the qualification cut, they’ll earn a place in three lap knockout heats until only the two strongest riders remain.

TEAM SPRINT

A knock-out format until the Quarter Finals when it becomes the best of three races. Teamwork is everything as riders race in teams of three over three laps. Each rider goes all out for a lap before peeling off. When the last rider crosses the finish line, the team has their time.

TIME TRIAL

The rules are simple, but winning this event is anything but. Riders complete a set distance as quick as they can from a standing start – 1km for men, 500m for women.

KEIRIN

Riders follow in the slipstream of a pacing motorbike for 750m which goes faster and faster as the laps fly by. The motorbike, called a ‘derny’, then peels off for the all-out sprint finish.

INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT

Two riders start on opposite sides of the track. If one catches the other, they win. If nobody is caught, the winner is whoever has the fastest time over 4km for men or 3km for women.

TEAM PURSUIT

This works just like the individual pursuit, but with two teams of four riders starting on opposite sides of the track.

POINTS RACE

Men ride 160 laps, and women ride 100, in a mix of a sprint and endurance event with a heavy focus on tactical racing. Riders win points on sprint laps which occur every ten laps (5 points for the winner, then 3, 2 and 1) and by lapping the field (20 points). In the final sprint, the points are doubled.

MADISON

Teams of two riders take turns to race. It’s a relay race where partners use each other’s momentum via a hand sling. The winning team finishes with the most points accumulated from the sprint laps (5 for the winner, then 3, 2 and 1) and by lapping the field (20 points). In the final sprint, the points are doubled.

SCRATCH

A mass start race for solo riders. Men race for 15km, women for 10km. First over the line wins.

OMNIUM

Riders test their versatility across four events on the same day: scratch, tempo, elimination and points race. To win it, riders must finish strongly in all four events, rewarding consistency.

ELIMINATION with cycling. Thankfully he rediscovered his passion at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where he took a silver (Keirin) and a bronze (Sprint). Now he’s found his mojo, could it be time for a gold? Instagram @jackcarlin97

From a rolling start, riders sprint every two laps and the rider that crosses the line last on the sprint lap is eliminated. The field is narrowed as only the strongest sprinters stay cycling.

WHERE

WHEN 3–9 August

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Track Back

Track cycling was invented around 1870 and became an Olympic sport in 1896.

In The Zone

There are four markings on the track in every velodrome. The light blue ‘cote d’azur’ zone at the bottom is for warm-ups or cool-downs; the black line defines the 250m length of the track; the red line (the sprinter’s line) is where most of the racing and overtaking happens; the blue line at the top (the stayer’s lane) is a rest area in the Madison.

The Bike

Riders can’t coast on track bikes and they don’t have brakes. To stop, they have to reduce their cadence and push back on the pedals.

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