Emma Bianchi’s Guide to Olympic Track Cycling

POV: You’re watching the Olympic Games, and all of a sudden there are a bunch of people riding weird-looking bicycles in laps around a wooden track, slinging each other forward by their hands in a manner so chaotic that it feels impossible to tell what’s going on. If that is you, or you simply want to renew your knowledge on track cycling, fear not! This is just about my favourite sport in the world, and I love to yap – I mean, educate – about it on end.

With track cycling starting today at the Olympic Games, let’s get into it. I will do my best to keep this guide sweet and short, like a good Sprint.

For any questions, comments, daily results, to hear my favourites for each discipline or simply to chat track, feel free to shoot me a dm or follow my posts on Twitter, at @cyclartist

First, let’s get a few basic facts and figures out of the way. Track cycling has been an Olympic sport since the very beginning in 1896, the first modern Olympic Games. Back then, the disciplines looked a little different: 333.3m (1 lap) time trial, 2000m sprint, 10km race, 100km race, and 12-hour race. Yes, 12 hours of racing on the same 333.3m lap. Five of the seven starters did not finish. It was the first and the last time a 12-hour race was held at the Olympics.

A few things have changed since then, modern-day tracks for international competitions have a length of 250m now, and almost none of the events are still held the same way, but at its core, track cycling is still the same: chaotic and confusing when you’re seeing it for the first time, beautiful and addictive when you’ve gotten into it.

How is track different from road?

Olympic track races are held inside of a velodrome, on a 250m long oval, wooden track with two 180-degree circular bends and two straights. They are steeply banked, up to 45°. The bikes are quite different from those used on the road, too. For starters, they are fixed gear bikes: they only have one single, usually very big gear ratio, they have no brakes, and no freewheel. When the back wheel turns, the pedals turn; there is no option to just sit up and keep your legs still for a second. The bikes are built for maximum aerodynamic efficiency, you will spot full disc wheels with very narrow tires. The cockpit is much smaller and more narrow, with very light and flat bars. The riders wear skin-tight aero suits, carbon shoes, and aero helmets. They not only clip into their pedals, but fasten their feet with track-straps, to make sure they don’t accidentally rip their shoes out of the pedal when they put down their kilowatts.

The Olympic track cycling will be held at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a modern international velodrome located at Rue Laurent Fignon 1, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France. It has a 250m long track made of Siberian pine wood, and a banking of 44°. It has previously hosted the World Championships and European Championships. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, there are six disciplines, each for both men and women: The short-distance or sprint categories Team Sprint, Sprint, and Keirin, and the long-distance or endurance categories Team Pursuit, Omnium and Madison.

Let’s dive right in.

The Team Sprint

On first glance, the team sprint will look more like a time trial. Two teams of three riders start on opposite sides of the track from a standing start, and ride three laps. The team with the quickest time wins. The riders have set positions as first, second, and third rider. Each rider leads for one lap, giving their maximum effort and pulling the others, and then pulls up, completely spent. The first rider needs to be highly explosive and have a strong acceleration, to get the heavy sprinting gears going. The second rider needs to maintain the high speed set by the first, and carry the third rider into position to start the third and final lap on their own. The third rider, although a sprinter, needs to have good endurance qualities to be able to keep up the speed over all three laps, and to the finish line.
The starting order and match-ups are decided by a qualifying round in which the teams simply race against the clock, receiving their position based on the time they set. They then progress to knockout rounds, until eventually only two teams are left to fight for the win.

The Sprint

The match sprint is usually a 1-v-1 sprint between two riders, who start standing on the same side of the track. They ride for three laps, and the first rider over the finish line wins the set. They compete for three sets, with the first rider to win two sets winning the round. Riders are free to use the entire track. The sprint is a lot more tactical than just putting down pure strength and riding as fast as possible: the riders usually start out slow in the first lap, playing a game of cat and mouse with each other for positions. They prefer the back position, as it usually allows them to draft in their competitor’s slipstream and (hopefully) overtake them in the final. In an attempt to let their opponent pass them, riders can come to a standstill, a so-called trackstand. This can lead to a trackstand-off, with both riders balancing on their bikes, trying to force the other one into moving first.

On the second lap, the riders usually pick up the speed, chasing each other up and down the track. Diving down from the top of the track allows for faster acceleration, so the rider in the second position will go up the track to try and dive past their opponent. The rider in the front constantly keeps an eye on their opponent to match all of their moves and not be surprised by an attack.

Going into the third lap, the riders are usually in a full-blown sprint, racing each other to the finish line. Often, the rider in the back position tries to overtake the rider in the front from behind. Only the strongest sprinters win a race from the front, being simply too fast for their opponent to overtake.

They qualify by racing a 200m flying lap time trial, being awarded their positions based on their time. A flying lap means they don’t start standing still, but rather ride a few laps, picking up the speed, before plunging into the final 200m and going as fast as they can.

The Keirin

The Keirin has its roots in Japan, where it is a popular betting sport to this day. The name literally translates to racing cycle. Six riders start at the same time and ride 1500m - six laps of the 250m track. The first three laps are controlled, the riders follow a derny in a set order to pick up speed. The derny comes in at 30kph and consistently takes them up to 50kph, before it drops out after three laps. Then, already at high speed, the riders fight for positions. It is not unusual to see shoulders touching and a bit of shoving as one rider tries to squeeze past another. The first rider across the finish line wins. The first starting order is drawn, and it’s knockout rounds from the beginning. Riders who just missed out on advancing to the next round get another chance to qualify in the repechages.

Personally, I have to say that the Keirin might just be my favourite discipline on the track. It’s hectic, tactical, and can make for surprise winners. 

The Team Pursuit

The Team Pursuit is similar to the Team Sprint, in that two teams race a time trial against each other, and the one with the fastest time wins. They consist of four riders and start on opposite ends of the track. They race over 4000m - 16 laps. The finishing times of the first three riders count. The riders draft closely behind each other, and ride on aero bars. Unlike the Team Sprint, the riders take turns on the front, putting in an effort before swinging up the track to reposition themselves at the end of their group. As only three riders are needed to finish the race, one rider will often perform a death pull – a really big effort, spending all of their energy, after which they pull up and out of the race, unable to follow their teammates’ high pace anymore.

They start out with a qualifying round, in which two teams are on the track, but not directly competing against each other, only trying to set a fast time that then translates into their place in the starting order. They then proceed to knockout rounds, until the final two fight for the overall win.

The Omnium

Oh, the Omnium. From Latin omnium, meaning 'of all' or simply 'everything', this event combines several races. It has seen several changes to its format over the years, with the current format consisting of four races: a Scratch Race, a Tempo Race, an Elimination Race and a Points Race. There is a general classification spanning all four races, with the best placed riders of each race being awarded points. The rider with the most overall points in the end wins the entire event.

The Scratch Race is the simplest of them all: all riders start together, and whoever is first over the finish line after a set amount of laps, wins the race. They race one formation lap before the race is officially started. Riders can gain a lap on the others, shifting the head of the race to wherever in the bunch the rider who has gained a lap is.

The Tempo Race follows rather simple rules too: over a set amount of laps, from the 5^th lap on, one point is awarded to the rider who crosses the finish line first in each lap. Riders can gain a lap, which brings them an additional 20 points, but the opposite is also possible: if a rider gets lapped by the peloton, they lose 20 points.

In the Elimination Race, also known as miss-and-out, every other lap, the last rider to cross the finish line is eliminated. The riders at the front of the bunch typically ride a steady pace, while the real hectic racing is happening at the back. Every other lap, the riders at the back have to fight for positions and try their best to tuck into a safe space with someone else being the last one. With the size of the bunch being reduced steadily, only two riders remain at the end of the race, who usually sprint it out.
The Points Race is a race over a set amount of laps, with intermediate sprints every ten laps. For each sprint, five, three, two and one points are awarded to the four riders who cross the finish line first. Riders can lap the peloton, gaining them 20 points. The rider with the most points at the end of the race, wins.

The Madison

Why “Madison”, you may wonder? The event was named after Madison Square Garden in New York, where six-day races were held in the 1930s. The French people still call this race course à l'américaine, the American race. It is contested by teams of two riders, and is not won by who crosses the finish line first, but by who races the most laps. The race has a set amount of laps, like 80 or 120, that need to be finished. But the riders can gain or lose a lap on the bunch, putting them a lap in front or behind of the others. The riders start on the two straights of the track, and usually race one formation lap before the race is officially started.

Of the two riders in a team, only one is actively racing, while the other one is riding more slowly and relaxed on the top of the track. The riders switch by the not-racing rider coming down and positioning themselves in front of their partner. As their partner passes them from behind, they grab each other’s hands, and the rider who was previously in the race propels the other rider forward with a hand-sling, bringing them up to the race speed and giving them an extra push. The rider then sits up and lets themselves drift up to the top of the track, to wait for their next turn. This way, the non-racing rider can catch their breath and regain their strength for a moment, while the racing rider can put in a high effort.

There are intermediate sprints at set intervals, for example every five or ten laps. Each sprint is rewarded with points for the first four teams crossing the line, gaining five, three, two or one points respectively. If two or more teams have the same amount of laps, the team with more points is awarded the win. If two or more teams have the same amount of laps and points, only then does their position when crossing the finish line come into place.

I know this was a lot of information to swallow, and you might feel like your head is spinning just like the cyclists riding around the velodrome. I do hope you will enjoy watching this most beautiful sport together with me! I’ll be talking about it on twitter every day, at @cyclartist. I’ve written out the entire schedule here, if you want to pick your favourite events and mark them in the calendar 😉

Good track cycling everyone!

The Schedule (CET)

August 5:

17:00 – Women’s Team Sprint – Qualifying
17:27 – Men’s Team Pursuit – Qualifying
18:55 – Women’s Team Sprint – First Round
19:09 – Men’s Team Sprint – Qualifying
19:46 – Women’s Team Sprint – Final
19:46 – Final for 7^th and 8^th
19:50 – Final for 5^th and 6^th
19:54 – Final for Bronze and 4^th
19:59 – Final for Gold and Silver

August 6:

17:30 – Women’s Team Pursuit – Qualifying
18:59 – Men’s Team Sprint – First Round
19:14 – Men’s Team Pursuit – First Round
19:55 – Men’s Team Sprint – Final
19:55 – Final for 7^th and 8^th
20:00 – Final for 5^th and 6^th
20:05 – Final for Bronze and 4^th
20:10 – Final for Gold and Silver

August 7:

12:45 – Men’s Sprint – Qualifying
13:26 – Women’s Keirin – First Round
13:52 – Women’s Team Pursuit – First Round
14:30 – Men’s Sprint – 1/32 Finals
15:10 – Women’s Keirin – Repechages
15:30 – Men’s Sprint – 1/32 Finals Repechages
17:30 – Men’s Sprint – 1/16 Finals
18:04 – Men’s Team Pursuit – Final
18:04 – Final for 7^th and 8^th
18:13 – Final for 5^th and 6^th
18:23 – Final for Bronze and 4^th
18:33 – Final for Gold and Silver
18:42 – Men’s Sprint – 1/16 Finals Repechages
18:57 – Women’s Team Pursuit – Final
18:57 – Final for 7^th and 8^th
19:07 – Final for 5^th and 6^th
19:17 – Final for Bronze and 4^th
19:28 – Final for Gold and Silver
19:38 – Men’s Sprint – 1/8 Finals
20:14 – Men’s Sprint – 1/8 Finals Repechages

August 8:

17:00 – Men’s Omnium 1/4 – Scratch Race
17:18 – Women’s Keirin – Quarterfinals
17:28 – Men’s Omnium 2/4 – Tempo Race
18:01 – Men’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Race 1
18:15 – Women’s Keirin – Semifinals
18:25 – Men’s Omnium 3/4 – Elimination Race
18:47 – Men’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Race 2
19:01 – Women’s Keirin – Final for 7^th to 12^th
19:11 – Women’s Keirin – Final for Gold to 6^th
19:18 – Men’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Decider
19:27 – Men’s Omnium 4/4 – Points Race
20:04 – Men’s Sprint – Finals for 5^th to 8^th

August 9:

14:00 – Women’s Sprint – Qualifying
14:41 – Men’s Sprint – Semifinals, Race 1
14:48 – Women’s Sprint – 1/32 Finals
15:29 – Men’s Sprint – Semifinals, Race 2
15:38 – Women’s Sprint – 1/32 Finals Repechages
15:52 – Men’s Sprint – Semifinals, Decider
18:00 – Men’s Sprint – Final, Race 1
18:09 – Women’s Madison – Final
19:02 – Men’s Sprint – Final, Race 2
19:10 – Women’s Sprint – 1/16 Finals
19:38 – Men’s Sprint – Final, Decider
19:58 – Women’s Sprint – 1/16 Finals Repechages

August 10:

17:00 – Women’s Sprint – 1/8 Finals
17:19 – Men’s Keirin – First Round
17:50 – Women’s Sprint – 1/8 Finals Repechages
17:59 – Men’s Madison – Final
19:07 – Women’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Race 1
19:21 – Men’s Keirin – Repechages
19:49 – Women’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Race 2
20:14 – Women’s Sprint – Quarterfinals, Decider

August 11:

11:00 – Women’s Omnium 1/4 – Scratch Race
11:22 – Women’s Sprint – Semifinals, Race 1
11:29 – Men’s Keirin – Quarterfinals
11:50 – Women’s Sprint – Semifinals, Race 2
11:57 – Women’s Omnium 2/4 – Tempo Race
12:18 – Women’s Sprint – Semifinals, Decider
12:25 – Women’s Sprint – Final for 5^th to 8^th
12:29 – Men’s Keirin – Semifinals
12:45 – Women’s Sprint – Final, Race 1
12:53 – Women’s Omnium 3/4 – Elimination Race
13:15 – Women’s Sprint – Final, Race 2
13:23 – Men’s Keirin – Final for 7^th to 12^th
13:32 – Men’s Keirin – Final for Gold to 6^th
13:44 – Women’s Sprint – Final, Decider
13:56 – Women’s Omnium 4/4 – Points Race