Cycling, Cycling and More Cycling

For the last week I have been soaking up as much cycling knowledge as possible. It is my duty during the Olympics to talk to athletes of track cycling, BMX and mountain bike. For now, the task has been grasping the world of track cycling.

There are 10 events in track cycling, seven for men and three for women. The men's events are Individual Sprint, Team Sprint, Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit, Keirin, Madison and Points Race. The women's events are Individual Sprint, Individual Pursuit and Points Race. Hang in there with me. I promise the more you learn about it, the more fun it will be.

Individual Sprint

In a sprint, the riders race against one another to be the first one to finish three laps.

In sprints, sometimes you'll get to see racers doing track stands, a strategic move where they come to a complete stop, balancing in place in order to force their opponent to take the lead spot. The tactic here is that the second rider then tucks in neatly behind his or her opponent, allowing them to set the pace and do the hard work pedaling in front. Then when it comes to the final, explosive sprint, the second place rider uses fresher legs to power past and take the victory. The team event uses three riders rather than one.

Individual Pursuit

In the individual pursuit, two riders compete head-to-head over a set distance. For men, it's 4,000 meters (2.5 miles), and women race 3000 meters (1.8 miles). The riders start from opposite points of the track, and the winner is the one who either catches his rival or records the best time overall. If one rider catches the other, the race ends at once, though the winner may still need to finish to record his overall time. The team event uses four riders rather than one and the time is taken from when the third rider crosses the finish line.

Keirin

Originating in Japan, Keirin is an eight-lap, 2,000 meter race in which a small motorbike paces the riders around the track for five and a half laps. The riders follow at faster and faster speeds with only inches between them until the final lap when the motorbike peels away and the racers give it all they've got for the last two and a half laps.

Points Race

In this event, endurance and sprinting strength will determine who comes out on to in this 160-lap race. All competitors, one from each country, start at the same time. Riders score points during the event, and the top scorers at the end are the winners. The winner is the rider who primarily gains the most laps on the field and second, scores the most points by placing in one of the 20 sprints held in the course of the race, where the top four placers cash in. In the sprints – which are every eighth lap – the top finisher earns five points, and it goes to three points for second, two points for third and one point for fourth.

Madison

This event offers the combination of teamwork, sprinting and endurance. Run by teams of two, only one rider of the pair is active in the race at any given point. All riders start at the same time, and the winner is the team covering the most laps in the time allotted. As the active rider races, the other rests as he continues to circle at a slower speed. Riders can take over from each other with a handslap or by actually grabbing their partner by the hand or shorts to literally sling the other back into the race. That gives the new rider a burst of speed and motion from the other as he exits the active role.

I will be updating the world of cycling as the Games get closer and results roll in.