The Matjaz Leskovar's home page is located at http://www2.ijs.si/~mleskovar/

Cycling on the Track

Track Cycling Events at World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games (some other Non-Olympic Events)

 

Absolute Slovenian Track Cycling Records

 

My Results at Slovenian National Track Cycling Championships

 

My Results at International Track Cycling Competitions

World Track Cycling Cup

1995/96/97/98/99/2000

World Track Cycling Championships

1995/96/97/98/99/2000  

Olympic Games

Atlanta 1996: Track Cycling Competitions

Sydney 2000: Track Cycling Competitions

Track Cycling Events at World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games

Sprint (Men, Women)

The Sprint is a race of domination, aggression, skill, speed and thrills. Two to four riders start at the same time over a distance of 1000 meters, and they race against each other rather than against the clock. Although they are timed over the last 200 meters of the race, the winner of the race is the rider who crosses the finish line first, regardless of how long it takes. Match sprints work by a process of elimination, so that the riders must work their way up through several rounds of sprints, called "heats." Only two riders compete in the finals, which consist of three races. By scoring two wins in the finals, a rider becomes the winner of the event. It's in the Sprint that you may witness a "trackstand," wherein a rider will bring his or her bike to a complete stop and remain upright, balancing precariously. The reason for this peculiar behaviour is that the rider in front is trying to force the rider in the rear to come around him, so that he can "draft" off of the front rider, following his rear wheel very closely, to decrease wind resistance and therefore conserve energy. By following in the slipstream of the other rider, a rider can not only keep a watchful eye on his opponent, but can also save enough energy to put on an extra burst of speed at the finish.
(picture of Marty Nothstein (USA) and Michael Huebner (GER))

Time Trial (Men 1000m, Women 500m)

The Time Trial is the race of truth, with competitors racing over 3 laps (3x333m) or 4 laps (4x250m) for men and 1.5 lap (1.5x333m) or 2 laps (2x250m) for women. A race of controlled speed, measured to 1/1000th of a second, with competitors starting from a standing start, held by a starting gate. The Time Trial is won by a rider pushing himself to the utmost limits of his endurance.
(picture of Alexandre Kiritchenko (URS))

Olympic Sprint (Men)

Three riders line up at the start, the gun is fired and off they go - Hell for leather - following the front rider. After one lap, the leader swings out of the way and the second rider takes over for the next lap. At the end of the second lap, the second rider swings away and the last rider completes the distance. Just to make it interesting, another team is on the other side of the track and the pursuit is on. This fast and furios event is a mixture of Team Pursuit and Sprinting and is the newest event in the Olympic Games making its debut in Atlanta in 1996.

Keirin (Men)

This is a race that was devised and developed in Japan. Riders line up across the width of the track and the small motor cycle, called a derny, paces them for the first 6 laps. The riders change position and work to get into the best spot for the time when the derny, having picked up the speed gently leaves the track with two laps to go. Then the race is on ... Two more laps of flat out, lung bursting effort. The winner is the first one to cross the line without breaking any of the rules !!
(picture)

Individual Pursuit (Men 4000m, Women 3000m)

A race in which two riders start on opposite sides of the track and chase each other for a given distance. If one rider "catches" the other before they've gone the full distance, the race ends immediately. But, if neither rider catches his opponent, the race goes the full distance, and is won by the rider who covers the distance in the least amount of time.
(picture of Graeme Obree (GBR) and Yvonne McGregor (GBR))

Team Pursuit 4000m (Men)

A 4000 meter race for men only, the Team Pursuit is like the Individual Pursuit, except that it involves two teams of riders instead of two individuals. There are four men on each team, and they ride in a single file "pace line." Each of the four riders takes a turn at the front, changing the lead every lap or every half lap. The front rider swings up the track's banking, letting his teammates pass, and then drops back down to catch on to the back of the line. Only three of the four riders need to go the full distance, because the team's total time is taken as the third rider in the group crosses the line.
(picture)

Points Race (Men, Women)

The race that requires all the skills of the top class cyclist: speed, technique, awareness, staying power and, at times you would think, a degree in mathematics. Riders sprint for points every 8 laps with 5 points awarded to the winner of the sprint, three for second place, two for third and one for fourth. Points are doubled on the last sprint. By gaining a lap on the others, this advantage puts the rider in the front of the race, regardless of the number of points scored by any of the other riders. If it is all square at the end of the race on laps gained and points won, then the number of intermediary sprint victories is taken into account.

Madison (Men)

This popular event is the Queen of Track Races. It derives its title from the Madison Square Gardens in the USA and consists of a team of two riders, one racing in the bunch, the other resting. Each team has only one rider in the race at any given time. After covering one or two laps at top speed, that rider drops out of the race so that another member of the team can come in and ride for a while. During the changeovers, the rider coming off the track literally throws the second rider into the race with a handsling. Relays take place throughout the race and this is where the race can be won and lost. A bad or ineffective hand sling can cause a team to loose several places. Technically the event is similar to the Points Race as the objective is to gain laps on the other teams and win points in the sprints, which occur every twenty laps.
(picture of Bruno Risi and Kurt Betschart (SUI))

Non-Olympic Track Events

Tandem Sprint

Like the Sprint, but ridden on two-man tandem bikes over a distance of 1500 meters instead of 1000. The Tandem Sprint is one of the fastest events on the track.
(picture Italy against Japan)

Mass Start or "Scratch Race"

Not surprisingly, all the riders in a Mass Start race start at the same time. The riders all cover the same distance, with the winner being the first rider to cross the finish line at the end of that distance. Although speed is important, tactics and teamwork are equally vital. Groups of riders often take an early lead, and then work together to increase it, while their teammates try to block and slow down the "field." On a small track, the leaders may gain an entire lap on the other riders and then join in with the main group again.

Miss-And-Out

Another variation of the Mass Start race that's sometimes called "Devil Take The Hindmost," because the last rider to cross the line after each (or every other) lap is taken out of the race. The field diminishes rapidly, until there are only a few riders left to contest the final sprint.

Motorpace

Very popular in Europe the Motorpace is a race in which each rider stays glued behind a small motorcycle or moped, with only inches between them. Because the motorbikes break the wind and provide the riders with a slipstream to ride in, Motorpace riders can go much faster than the riders in most other events.

Absolute Slovenian Track Cycling Records at August, 2003

My Results at Slovenian National Track Cycling Championships

World Track Cycling Cup 1995 (Open)

World Track Cycling Championships 1995 (Open)

World Track Cycling Cup 1996 (Open)

World Track Cycling Championships 1996 (Open)

Olympic Games 1996 - Track Cycling Competitions (Open)

World Track Cycling Cup 1997

World Track Cycling Championships 1997

World Track Cycling Cup 1998

World Track Cycling Championships 1998

World Track Cycling Cup 1999

World Track Cycling Championships 1999

World Track Cycling Cup 2000

World Track Cycling Championships 2000

Olympic Games 2000 - Track Cycling Competitions

Info: Matjaz Leskovar Last update August 10, 2003