Guide to follow Track Cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics

After the road, BMX, and mountain bike events at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, it's time for the queen of Olympic cycling disciplines. We are talking about the various track events that will take place at the fabulous Saint Quentin en Yvelines velodrome between August 5th and the following Sunday, August 11th, coinciding with the closing day of the competitions at Paris 2024.

Everything you need to know to follow track cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Of all the Olympic cycling disciplines, the one with the most Olympic tradition is the one that takes place on the velodrome track. Competitions that traditionally have been almost a matter of state for countries like Great Britain, with leading federations dedicating significant resources to training camps, training, and the development of the best equipment, as evidenced by the prices of the bicycles that some teams will use at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Competition schedule for Track Cycling at Paris 2024

Monday, August 5, 2024

• 17:00 - Women's Team Sprint (qualifying)
• 17:27 - Men's Team Pursuit (qualifying)
• 18:55 - Women's Team Sprint (1st round)
• 19:09 - Men's Team Sprint (qualifying)
• 19:46 - Women's Team Sprint (finals)

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

• 17:30 - Women's Team Pursuit (qualifying)
• 18:59 - Men's Team Sprint (1st round)
• 19:14 - Men's Team Pursuit (1st round)
• 19:55 - Men's Team Sprint (finals)

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

• 12:45 - Men's Individual Sprint (qualifying)
• 13:26 - Women's Keirin (1st round)
• 13:52 - Women's Team Pursuit (1st round)
• 14:30 - Men's Individual Sprint (1/32 finals)
• 15:10 - Women's Keirin (repechage)
• 15:30 - Men's Individual Sprint (repechage)
• 17:30 - Men's Individual Sprint (1/16 finals)
• 18:04 - Men's Team Pursuit (finals)
• 18:42 - Men's Individual Sprint (repechage)
• 18:57 - Women's Team Pursuit (finals)
• 19:38 - Men's Individual Sprint (1/8 finals)
• 20:14 - Men's Individual Sprint (repechage)

Thursday, August 8, 2024

• 17:00 - Men's Omnium - Scratch
• 17:18 - Women's Keirin (1/4 finals)
• 17:38 - Men's Omnium - Tempo
• 18:01 - Men's Individual Sprint (1/4 finals)
• 18:15 - Women's Keirin (1/2 finals)
• 18:25 - Men's Omnium - Elimination
• 19:01 - Women's Keirin (finals)
• 19:27 - Men's Omnium - Points Race
• 20:04 - Men's Individual Sprint (5th to 8th place)

Friday, August 9, 2024

• 14:00 - Women's Individual Sprint (qualifying)
• 14:41 - Men's Individual Sprint (1/2 finals)
• 14:48 - Women's Individual Sprint (1/32 finals)
• 15:38 - Women's Individual Sprint (repechage)
• 18:00 - Men's Individual Sprint (finals)
• 18:09 - Women's Madison
• 19:10 - Women's Individual Sprint (1/16 finals)
• 19:58 - Women's Individual Sprint (repechage)

Saturday, August 10, 2024

• 17:00 - Women's Individual Sprint (1/8 finals)
• 17:19 - Men's Keirin (1st round)
• 17:50 - Women's Individual Sprint (repechage)
• 17:59 - Men's Madison
• 19:07 - Women's Individual Sprint (1/4 finals)
• 19:27 - Men's Keirin (repechage)

Sunday, August 11, 2024

• 11:00 - Women's Omnium - Scratch
• 11:22 - Women's Individual Sprint (1/2 finals)
• 11:29 - Men's Keirin (1/4 finals)
• 11:57 - Women's Omnium - Tempo
• 12:25 - Women's Individual Sprint (5th to 8th place)
• 12:29 - Men's Keirin (1/2 finals)
• 12:45 - Women's Individual Sprint (finals)
• 12:53 - Women's Omnium - Elimination
• 13:23 - Men's Keirin (finals)
• 13:56 - Women's Omnium - Points Race

Olympic track cycling disciplines

Of the many disciplines contested on the velodrome track at several Olympic Games, the program for this event has been drastically reduced compared to tradition. Today, we can see events such as Individual and Team Sprint, Team Pursuit, Keirin, the spectacular Madison, and the Omnium, a combination of 4 events: Scratch, Tempo, Elimination, and Points Race. All of these events are held in both the men's and women's categories. Here is a breakdown of each event that will be seen on the velodrome.

Individual Sprint

This discipline determines who the best sprinter is. It is contested over a distance of 2 and a half laps (remember that the Olympic velodrome has a 250m track) with only the times of the last 200m being taken into account. From the start to that point, the two cyclists facing each other mark and try to get the best position, looking to surprise their opponent by launching the sprint early or pushing to the limit. Once the sprint is launched, the last 200m are of maximum intensity, with the red line on the velodrome floor dividing the two lanes for the sprint, ensuring that once a lane is chosen, it cannot be crossed to guarantee a fair finish.

Before the various rounds, there is an initial individual qualifying round where cyclists are timed over the final 200m to determine who advances and to establish the matchups for the following rounds. In the early rounds, times are crucial because if a cyclist loses a race in the first two rounds but has a good enough time, they can still compete in the repechage rounds.

Team Sprint

Although similar to the individual sprint, the team sprint event has a different format. It is contested over 3 laps for men and 2 laps for women, with teams of three riders facing off.

In this event, teams use a relay system similar to what is seen in road race finishes, where each rider takes a turn to lead before dropping back to let the next rider take over until the final sprint where the strongest rider gives it their all to set the benchmark time.

Team Pursuit

This is the flagship event of the Olympic velodrome and one that requires significant resources from federations. In essence, it is a team pursuit time trial with 4 riders covering 4 kilometers, or 16 laps of the velodrome, facing off against another team starting from the middle of each straight section of the track.

The race concludes when the 4 kilometers are completed, with the time taken from the third rider crossing the finish line. Alternatively, if one team catches up to the other, the race ends. This event requires precise teamwork for smooth relay exchanges, taking advantage of the banking in the corners, syncing the pace among the 4 riders, and knowing when to keep the team together or sacrifice a rider.

Keirin

Keirin can be described as a true battle of gladiators. It consists of a 6-lap race where riders start in a specific position determined by a draw. A derny, a small motorized bicycle traditionally powered by a gasoline engine but more recently by an electric motor, paces the riders for the first 3 laps, gradually increasing the speed to 50 km/h.

After these initial laps, the derny leaves the track, and the race begins in earnest as riders battle it out, trying to outmaneuver each other. Some riders hold a good position to sprint, while others may attack from a distance or draft behind a reference rider. The tactics are numerous, as is the improvisational ability required from the cyclists. It's pure adrenaline.

Madison

Another premier event on the velodrome known for its excitement, with many riders on the track at once, although it can be challenging to follow for newcomers. It is a endurance race covering 50 kilometers, or 200 laps for men, and 30 kilometers, or 120 laps for women.

Essentially, it is a points race where every 10 laps, a sprint is held awarding 5, 3, 2, and 1 points to the top four finishers, except for the final sprint which offers double points. Additionally, points can be earned by attacking and gaining a lap on the main peloton, automatically adding 20 points to the team that achieves this feat.

The unique aspect of the Madison is that it is contested by teams of two riders, but only one rider can be active at a time, with constant exchanges between them adding a strong tactical element to the race. For example, calculating the exchanges to ensure the faster rider is active during a sprint. Meanwhile, the waiting rider circles smoothly on the outer part of the track until their teammate approaches for the characteristic Madison hand-sling exchange where the active rider propels the incoming rider forward.

Omnium

The final event on the velodrome consists of 4 races of different formats, all falling under the endurance track modalities. The Omnium winner is determined by the points accumulated across the 4 events. Another key aspect of the Omnium is that all four events are held on the same day, emphasizing the importance of managing fatigue and recovery between races, as well as maintaining consistency throughout.

Scratch

The Scratch race is the simplest event on the velodrome. It is a straightforward endurance race covering 10 km for men and 7.5 km for women. Points are awarded based on the final ranking, with the winner receiving the most points.

If a rider gains a lap through an attack, they do not earn extra points as in other events, but only the advantage of being at the front of the race, which significantly aids teams in that position.

Tempo

The Tempo race is essentially a points race but contested over a shorter distance: 10 kilometers for men and 7.5 km for women, with sprints awarding only 1 point to the winner. The main difference from a points race is that after an initial settling period of 4 laps, a sprint is held every lap. The race also includes a 20-point bonus for any rider who gains a lap.

Elimination

The Elimination race is the most agonizing event in the Omnium. It is a race with sprints every two laps, with the last rider across the finish line eliminated until only the final two remain. Points are awarded in reverse order of finish, similar to the Scratch race.

Points Race

The final event in the Omnium is the Points Race, a endurance race covering 25 kilometers for men and 20 kilometers for women where riders aim to accumulate as many points as possible. Points are earned through sprints held every 10 laps, awarding 5, 3, 2, and 1 points to the top four finishers in each sprint, except for the final sprint which offers double points. Additionally, points can be earned by gaining a lap, with the rider achieving this feat receiving 20 points.