A complete guide to track racing

Image 1 of 7

Bradley Wiggins gets ready to compete in the team pursuit(Image credit: British Cycling)

Track Cycling began in the mid-19th Century but it wasn't until 1895 that the first World Championships took place. Early track races included bizarre high-speed events in which riders slipstreamed four-and six-man pace bikes. These were replaced by motorbikes after the turn of the century, and 'Derny' racing still plays a part in many European six-day races and riders are paced by a Derny in the opening laps of the Keirin event.

Bradley Wiggins not certain of Olympic Games spot, says Sutton

Track Worlds: I'm almost back to my old shape but it isn't good enough, says Bos

Annette Edmondson: I still don't see myself as a World Champion

High expectations on Cavendish for Track Worlds as Tour de France crossroads beckons

Glaetzer looking to set a strong benchmark at the Track World Championships

Great Britain women’s sprint team Olympic qualification at risk

Velodromes can range from less than 200 metres (with very steep banking) to over 450 metres on outdoor, concrete tracks. However, Olympic standard velodromes need to be 250 metres in length, completely covered, and made of wood. Wooden velodromes need to be hard, straight and hold their shapes as they age. For this reason, most are built from Baltic Pine which often comes from a plantation in Finland that has supplied virtually every recently built velodrome. A 250 metre track has 60km of 40mm x 40mm x 6m planks and is held together by 360,000 nails.

The area infield of the track accommodates team support staff such as coaches, managers, mechanics, and masseurs; the press; officials and timing and in the case of the track at Atlanta, event office space. Offices are usually underground, but the Atlanta track was temporary so no underground facilities were dug. The track was purchased by the Quebec government in 2000, and is now a part of the Bromont Canadian Cycling Traning Center.

Riders are firmly attached to the bikes using step-in pedal systems, or standard pedals with two sets of straps. It's vital that riders can't accidentally pull out of the pedals, and that power transfer be as efficient as possible, so riders use shoes with extremely stiff soles. Over the years many pedal and shoe systems have been tried, including ones that build the pedal axle and bearings into the sole, so the rider has to be laced into the bike.

Track racers need excellent fitness, usually expressed as a high VO2 Max measurement which indicates the rider's ability to use oxygen efficiently. Sprinters need lots of 'fast-twitch' muscle fibres, and one coach was famous for refusing to even look at riders who can't jump to reach a point a certain distance above them. The hugely-muscled anaerobic animals that infested sprinting in the 80s are less common now because sprinters have to do slightly longer events, too, and so cannot afford the extra mass that comes from training specifically to sprint just for 200m.

While this guide doesn't cover the complete variation of track disciplines, most are included and can be broadly classified into "sprint" and "endurance" events. For the newcomer to the sport, or even experienced observers, certain track cycling events can be a complete mystery. The following is a brief description of the races that feature in this week's World Championships in London and the Olympic Games.

Traditionally held over three laps, this event captures the essence of track cycling Although it is normally a one-on-one event, earlier rounds can feature three or more cyclists on the track at the same time – also during a repechage. It is a cagey affair to start as the competitors typically eye each other off for the first 6-700 metres, trying to manoeuvre each other into an unfavourable position, before launching an explosive sprint for the last 200 metres, which is the only part of the event that is timed. The first across the line wins the race.

Teams, made up of three in the men's event and two in the women's event, compete over two or three laps. Two teams will start on opposite sides of the track and the aim is to complete the distance in the quickest possible time. On the start line, the riders will be spread in a line across the width of the track but they will fall into a line, one behind the other, when they start. The leading rider begins from a mechancial start gate, while the others are held by helpers.

Generally 6-8 riders will take part in a Keirin at any one time. A derny motorbike paces the riders from 25 km/h up to 45 km/h for the first opening laps. The speed of the bike will gradually increase until, with two and a half laps to go, the derny bike pulls off and the sprint is on. Tactics can be important here, as the lead-out is often quite long. If one team can get two of their riders in the final, then they are at a distinct advantage.

Held over 4000 metres for elite men and 3000 metres for elite women, this is considered an "endurance" track event, although the speeds are still extremely high. Two riders start on opposite sides of the track and try to set the fastest time over the allotted distance. Normally, a qualifying time trial is ridden that determines who is eligible for the semi-finals and finals. The fastest ride is often produced here, as in the finals, the only important criterion is to beat your opponent. If one rider catches the other, i.e. puts half a lap into them, then the race is over.

An explosive start is not critical (but it's handy to have), however, the ability to ride at a consistently high speed is far more important. Many riders who go out too hard can look to be well up on their opponent, only to fade in the last 1000 metres. This has typically the greatest "cross-over" to the road. i.e. good pursuiters make good road riders and vice versa. Bradley Wiggins, Jack Bobridge and Geraint Thomas are examples of pursuit riders who've had successful road careers.

This race is named after Madison Square Garden in New York where the event was first held. Two-man teams contest the event, which is typically 50-60 kilometres. After a mass start where all riders are on the track, only one rider from each team is allowed in the race at a given time, meaning that teams must take it in turn each lap (or more) to have a rider in the race. Changeovers are quite dangerous, but impressive to watch when done well - one rider circles around waiting for his teammate, who joins hands and imparts his momentum to the slower rider.

This is a solo event, scored similarly to the Madison and raced by both men and women. Again, a rider scores points in intermediate bonus sprints every 10th lap (5, 3, 2, 1) with double points usually awarded on the last lap. If a rider can lap the field, then they get 20 points, which can be enough to secure the win - but not always. If a rider drops back a lap, they will have 20 points deducted from their total, so you sometimes see riders with negative scores.