Track cycling continues to evolve, with new technologies and training techniques contributing to increasingly impressive performances. With a rich history and fierce competition, track cycling promises to be one of the highlights of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Check out the biggest names in track cycling today!
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Read on to find out who the biggest names in track cycling today are!
Biggest names in Track Cycling today: historical context
As with the road cycling events, track cycling was present at the first edition of the Olympic Games of the Modern Era, held in Athens in 1896.
Since then, it has only been absent from the Stockholm Games in 1912, when only the road races were contested.
The origins of track cycling are very close to those of road cycling. The first official competitions date back to 1870, when athletes competed in closed gyms with wooden tracks.
Read on to find out who the biggest names in track cycling today are!
The great advantage of track cycling was that it didn’t depend on the weather, and it allowed spectators to charge for their tickets.
In track cycling, speed is the main focus. There are 10 different types of races, divided equally between men and women.
In addition to the individual speed, team speed, keirin, and team pursuit races, the omnium is a novelty.
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Introduced at the London Games in 2012, this event involves various competitions in which athletes accumulate points by taking part in chases, time trials and races.
The most consistent athletes with the highest scores at the end of all the races stand on the podium.
A peculiarity of track bikes is that they have no brakes and only one gear.
Read on to find out who the biggest names in track cycling today are!
Due to the high speeds reached by cyclists during races, the use of brakes could cause accidents, posing a great risk to competitors.
Another interesting fact is that women didn’t start competing for medals in track cycling until the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
Read on to find out who the biggest names in track cycling today are!
Biggest names in Track Cycling today: rules and disciplines
Track cycling takes place on velodromes, oval tracks with an incline, usually 250 meters.
The bikes used are specific to this sport, without brakes and with fixed gears. The main disciplines of track cycling include:
Sprint
A short, high-speed race between two cyclists, usually three laps.
Keirin
A group race in which cyclists follow a bike (derny) that sets the speed until there are 600 to 700 meters to go.
Individual and Team Pursuit
Races where cyclists or teams start on opposite sides of the track and try to catch up with their opponents or set the best time.
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Points Race
An endurance race where cyclists accumulate points by winning intermediate sprints throughout the race.
Madison
A double relay race where cyclists alternate to compete.
Omnium
A competition made up of several disciplines, including scratch, points race, elimination and time.
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Biggest names in Track Cycling today: curiosities
The Race Without Medalists
The speed race at the 1908 London Olympics had one of the most unusual finishes in history.
Contested by Frenchman Maurice Schilles and Britons Benjamin Jones, Victor Johnson and Clarence Kingsbury, the race resulted in no medal winners.
With a 1 km course, the time limit to complete the race was 1 minute 45 seconds.
However, none of the finalists managed to finish the race under that time. Johnson and Kingsbury had problems with flat tires.
At the finish line, Schilles overtook Jones by a narrow margin, but surprisingly didn’t win gold.
The International Cycling Union refused to allow the race to be repeated, leaving the race with no medalists.
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British icon
In track cycling, the most successful and impressive career is that of Britain’s Chris Hoy. Before shining at the Olympics, Hoy had already shown great aptitude for the sport.
During his teenage years, he was a rugby star at a school in his native Edinburgh.
At the age of 14, he represented both Scotland and Great Britain in BMX, becoming Scottish champion and British runner-up.
Hoy also competed in mountain biking and has a silver medal from the British Rowing Championships.
It was in 1992 that Chris Hoy turned his attention to track cycling. Four years later, he was already part of the British team.
At first, he didn’t stand out, but he quickly surpassed his colleagues with a lot of dedication and reached the top.
Hoy’s versatility was key to his success at the Olympic Games. On his debut at the Sydney 2000 Games, he won silver in the team sprint.
In Athens 2004, he won his first gold in the 1 km race against the clock. Four years later, in Beijing 2008, Hoy won three golds: keirin, team speed and individual speed.
Hoy ended his Olympic cycle in London 2012 in style, winning gold again in keirin and team speed.
Read on to find out who the biggest names in track cycling today are!
Biggest names in Track Cycling today (Men – World)
Filippo Ganna (Italy)
A specialist in individual pursuit races, Filippo Ganna is one of today’s most dominant cyclists.
Jason Kenny (United Kingdom)
One of the most decorated track cyclists, with several Olympic and world medals in sprint and keirin races.
Biggest names in Track Cycling today (Women – World)
Laura Kenny (United Kingdom)
A multiple Olympic and world medalist, Laura Kenny is a reference in several disciplines of track cycling.
Chloé Dygert (USA)
A specialist in individual and team pursuit, Chloé Dygert is one of today’s fastest and most talented cyclists.
Biggest names in Track Cycling today (Men – Brazil)
João Victor Oliveira
One of the emerging talents of Brazilian track cycling, competing in sprint and keirin races.
Gideoni Monteiro
Known for his skills in the omnium and team pursuit, he represented Brazil at the Olympics.
Biggest names in Track Cycling today (Women – Brazil)
Wellyda Rodrigues
A sprint and keirin specialist, she is one of Brazil’s leading track cyclists.
Fernanda da Silva
A standout in national and international competitions, competing in various track disciplines.
What are the prospects for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
Traditional nations such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany are strong candidates to win medals in track cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics, given the consistency and excellence of their training programs and their high-performance athletes.
Japan, especially in keirin, and Italy, with talents such as Filippo Ganna, are also strong contenders.
Did you enjoy reading about the biggest names in track cycling today? Then keep an eye out:
- 2024 Olympics: meet the biggest names in Road Cycling today
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