Track Cycling - London Olympics 2012

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, there will be 10 gold medals up for grabs over six action-packed days in the Track Cycling competition.

Did you know?

In January 2011, the Velodrome became the first competition venue in the Olympic Park to be completed.

Track bikes have a fixed wheel and no brakes: riders stop by putting pressure on the pedals.

At Beijing 2008, Chris Hoy became the first British athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games since 1908.

Track Cycling was held indoors at the Olympic Games for the first time in Montreal 1976.

Key facts

Venue: Velodrome
Dates: Thursday 2 – Tuesday 7 August
Medal events: 10
Athletes: 188 (104 men, 84 women)

Cycling has a long and fascinating history in the UK. As early as 1870, large crowds were drawn to races held in England on indoor wooden tracks, which closely resembled the velodromes of today.

Thanks in part to recent British success in the sport, track cycling is now as popular here as it’s ever been, and is sure to draw huge crowds at London 2012.

The basics

There are ten Olympic Track Cycling events (five for men, five for women), which between them test speed, endurance and teamwork. The Sprint consists of a series of three-lap races, with riders racing head-to-head. The Keirin features up to seven riders sprinting for victory, after following a pacing motorcycle at the beginning of the race.

There will be two team events: the Team Sprint, which is actually similar to a time trial, and the Team Pursuit, held over 16 laps for men and 12 laps for women. Finally, there’s the Omnium. Making its Olympic debut at London 2012, the Omnium features individual riders competing against each other across six different disciplines on the track.

Olympic Track Cycling, past and present

Currently enjoying a boom in popularity, the action-packed sport of Track Cycling has featured at every Games but one since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. At London 2012, Team GB will be looking to add to its dominance on the track at the Beijing 2008 Games, when British cyclists won seven of the 10 gold medals.

The London 2012 competition will take place in the new Velodrome, built especially for London 2012 in the Olympic Park. The track in the Velodrome has been laid with 5-metre lengths of Siberian pine, and is banked to an angle of 42 degrees at its steepest point.

Jargon buster

Derny: The pacing motorcycle used in Keirin races.
Gear ratio: The number of cogs on the front chainring divided by the number of cogs on the rear sprocket.
Omnium: New to the Olympic programme, the Omnium event features riders competing across six disciplines. Points in each discipline are awarded according to position: the winner gets one point, the second-placed finisher scores two, and so on. After all six disciplines, the rider with the fewest points wins the gold.

Get involved

Cycling is a great way to keep fit, as well as an environmentally friendly means of transport.

British Cycling's club development programme, called Go-Ride, is aimed at encouraging clubs to help young cyclists enjoy their cycling in a safe, off-road environment.

For more information, see British Cycling and the International Cycling Union.