Sport: Track Cycling

Facts about Track Cycling

Track racing is one of the purest and fastest forms of cycle sport. The bikes have no brakes and are controlled by a "fixed" wheel system, which means that rather than freewheeling, the rider controls the speed of the cycle with pressure on the pedals.

The Paralympic World Cup brings together competitors on both solo and tandem bikes, with tandems usually crewed by an able-bodied "pilot" and a visually impaired "stoker" in 3 disciplines: Sprint, Kilo and Pursuit.

Sprint

Head-to-head racing between pairs of riders (tandems) over three laps. Often highly tactical races, riders often spend the first couple of laps at only moderate speeds trying to get themselves into a position from which to "attack" their rivals, either by breaking free from them and sprinting for the line, or passing them with a sudden burst of speed and again trying to hold on to the line.

Kilo

Simply a time trial from a standing start over 1000 metres. This comprises four laps of a 250m track.

Pursuit

Ridden over 3000 or 4000 metres. Riders usually compete in pairs, starting from opposite sides of the track. If in a final, one rider catches his or her opponent, the race is considered to be over. This event is considered to be more of a test of endurance.

In 2007 three hours of non stop action at the Manchester Velodrome on Friday 11th May saw athletes from around the world contend for medals at the 21 events.

GB dominated the cycling in 2007 setting a number of world records two of them coming from Jody Cundy, alongside strong Australian and American competition.

As the cyclists gear up for Beijing, rivalries are fast forming and the 2008 Paralympic World Cup will provide the opportunity for the GB team to compete on home soil alongside their nearest competitors before heading east to the Paralympic Games in August.

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