Track time trial
Encyclopedia
In the track time trial, a track cycling
event, cyclists compete individually against the clock to record the fastest time over the specified distance from a standing start.
s. The frames are often more streamlined to help cut through the air.
. The Kilo time trial was removed from Olympics programme after 2004, to make way for BMX
racing. This led to a number of Kilo riders, most notably Chris Hoy
, focusing on other sprint events.
This event is a straight out race against the clock from a standing start over 1000m. Most indoor tracks are 250m in length, so a kilo is usually held over 4 laps. Other common track lengths are 167m (6 laps), 333m (3 laps) or 400m (2.5 laps). Riders will keep to the black line at the bottom of the track to ensure they have to cover the least distance over the 1000m. Riders usually only get 1 attempt to set a time, and the winner of the event is simply the rider to post the quickest time.
A fast time at elite level is around 1 minute 5 seconds.
.
A fast time at elite level is around 35 seconds.
competition, or as part of an Omnium
competition. Velodrome
s have a line painted across the track at 200 m before the finish line, for this purpose. Therefore, the size the track will determine where the 200-meter line is (for 250 m tracks, it is about two-thirds of the way through the first bend; for 200-meter tracks, it is the finish line; for 400-meter tracks, it is the start line in the back straight). The clock will start as they cross this line and stop when they reach the finish line.
Depending on the size of the track, riders have between one and three laps to build up speed before the clock starts. They will ride around the very top of the track as they near the start line, then drop down to the bottom to gain as much speed as possible from rolling down the steep inclined banking. The Flying 200 m is ridden on a standard track bike (drop handlebars, spoked front wheel) when it is part of the Sprint competition, and often during the Omnium as well so riders need have only one bike.
A fast time at elite level is just above 10 seconds for men, 12 seconds for women. The men's record of 9.572 seconds was set by Kévin Sireau
in Moscow, Russia on May 30, 2009.
, where two riders start on opposite sides of the track and 'pursue' each other over a set distance (4000m for senior men, 3000m for junior men and women). The winner is either the rider with the quickest time, or the rider who catches and passes their opponent. Whilst not strictly a time trial (the winner being declared after a series of knock-out rounds, rather than simply being fastest), the pursuit uses very similar bikes and training regimes to time trialling, and often riders who excel at pursuit are also proficient road time trialists (such as Bradley Wiggins
and Chris Boardman
).
A variant of this is the team pursuit
, where 4 men or 3 women ride as a team, taking turns pushing hard on the front and resting at the back. They must stay together; the time is taken not from the lead rider, but from the 3rd rider across the finish line. In the men's competition, only 3 of the 4 riders must finish.
A fast time at elite level is around 4 minutes 15 seconds for men (4 minutes for men's team), 3 minutes 30 seconds for women (3 minutes 20 seconds for women's team).
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
event, cyclists compete individually against the clock to record the fastest time over the specified distance from a standing start.
The bike
Track time trial bikes differ from normal track bikes in two major ways; firstly they have two solid disc wheels for aerodynamics, and secondly they use aero-bars to allow the rider to adopt a more aerodynamic riding position, for the same reasons as in road individual time trialIndividual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
s. The frames are often more streamlined to help cut through the air.
Men - 1 km Time Trial
At the UCI Track World Championships, the distance for senior men is 1000 metres, hence the event's alternative name, the 'Kilo', short for kilometer. Junior men race over 500m. Being such a short, high-intensity event, the kilo is popular with riders who specialise in the sprintSprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
. The Kilo time trial was removed from Olympics programme after 2004, to make way for BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racing. This led to a number of Kilo riders, most notably Chris Hoy
Chris Hoy
Sir Christopher Andrew "Chris" Hoy, MBE is a Scottish track cyclist representing Great Britain and Scotland. He is a multiple world champion and Olympic Games gold medal winner...
, focusing on other sprint events.
This event is a straight out race against the clock from a standing start over 1000m. Most indoor tracks are 250m in length, so a kilo is usually held over 4 laps. Other common track lengths are 167m (6 laps), 333m (3 laps) or 400m (2.5 laps). Riders will keep to the black line at the bottom of the track to ensure they have to cover the least distance over the 1000m. Riders usually only get 1 attempt to set a time, and the winner of the event is simply the rider to post the quickest time.
A fast time at elite level is around 1 minute 5 seconds.
Women - 500m Time Trial
The Women's version of the event is held over 500m. Other than the race distance this is the same as the men's Kilo event, with the fastest rider over the distance declared the winner. This event was also removed from the Olympic programme after 2004 to make way for the BMXBMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
.
A fast time at elite level is around 35 seconds.
Flying 200 m time trial
The flying 200 m time trial (so-called because riders have a flying start, as opposed to the standing start in the kilo/500 m) is rarely held on its own. It is more commonly used as the qualifying event for the sprintSprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
competition, or as part of an Omnium
Omnium
An omnium is a multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. Currently, and for the 2012 Olympics, the omnium as defined by the Union Cycliste Internationale consists of the following six events:...
competition. Velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
s have a line painted across the track at 200 m before the finish line, for this purpose. Therefore, the size the track will determine where the 200-meter line is (for 250 m tracks, it is about two-thirds of the way through the first bend; for 200-meter tracks, it is the finish line; for 400-meter tracks, it is the start line in the back straight). The clock will start as they cross this line and stop when they reach the finish line.
Depending on the size of the track, riders have between one and three laps to build up speed before the clock starts. They will ride around the very top of the track as they near the start line, then drop down to the bottom to gain as much speed as possible from rolling down the steep inclined banking. The Flying 200 m is ridden on a standard track bike (drop handlebars, spoked front wheel) when it is part of the Sprint competition, and often during the Omnium as well so riders need have only one bike.
A fast time at elite level is just above 10 seconds for men, 12 seconds for women. The men's record of 9.572 seconds was set by Kévin Sireau
Kévin Sireau
Kévin Sireau is a French professional racing cyclist.-Career highlights:200320042005Kévin Sireau is a French professional racing cyclist.-Career highlights:...
in Moscow, Russia on May 30, 2009.
Pursuit
The other time trial event on the track is the individual pursuitIndividual pursuit
The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the...
, where two riders start on opposite sides of the track and 'pursue' each other over a set distance (4000m for senior men, 3000m for junior men and women). The winner is either the rider with the quickest time, or the rider who catches and passes their opponent. Whilst not strictly a time trial (the winner being declared after a series of knock-out rounds, rather than simply being fastest), the pursuit uses very similar bikes and training regimes to time trialling, and often riders who excel at pursuit are also proficient road time trialists (such as Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE is a British professional track and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit and madison disciplines....
and Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
).
A variant of this is the team pursuit
Team pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
, where 4 men or 3 women ride as a team, taking turns pushing hard on the front and resting at the back. They must stay together; the time is taken not from the lead rider, but from the 3rd rider across the finish line. In the men's competition, only 3 of the 4 riders must finish.
A fast time at elite level is around 4 minutes 15 seconds for men (4 minutes for men's team), 3 minutes 30 seconds for women (3 minutes 20 seconds for women's team).