The first bicycles were invented in the 1850s and looked quite different to the bikes we know today. But it wasn’t until the 1870s that the first competitions for cycling indoors on wooden tracks were staged, with the first six‑day race taking place in London in 1878. Track cycling quickly grew in popularity and continued to develop with the creation of the International Cycling Association in 1892 and the organisation of the first world championships in Chicago in 1893.
Brief overview of the rules
Track cycling takes place in a 250m bowl-shaped arena known as a velodrome, with events in different race formats for individuals and teams. Track bicycles differ from road bicycles in that they are fixed gear and do not have brakes.
Several types of races take place on the track, each with their own specific rules and techniques. Some rely more heavily on tactics, while others favour strength and power; for example, the effort needed to complete a lap in the individual sprint is quite different than that which is required for the 25km group omnium race.
Olympic history
A long-standing Olympic discipline, track cycling has appeared at every edition of the modern Olympic Games with the exception of the 1912 Games in Stockholm. Women first competed in track events at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.
Throughout the sport’s 120‑year Olympic history, European nations—particularly Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Italy—have taken the majority of medals on offer at the Games.
