How does the team sprint work?
B · Beginner · The track and the sprint events · 4 of 8Two teams of three start on opposite sides of the track and race three laps. Each rider leads for one lap and then swings up out of the way, so the third rider finishes alone. The team's time is that last rider's. The fastest teams in qualifying go through to the later rounds.
How it works
- The event: "run over three laps of a track by teams of three riders".
- Leading: each rider "shall lead for one lap".
- The start: side by side, 1.5 metres apart. The inside rider is held in a starting block and leads.
- After a lap: the leader moves to the outside and drops back to leave the track without hindering the other team.
- The changeover line: the leader's front wheel must cross the pursuit line ahead of the next rider's. The leader must then be above the sprinters' line within 15 metres.
- The finish: the third rider completes the last lap alone.
- No pushing: between team-mates it is strictly forbidden.
- A bad change: if a breach is confirmed on review, the team is relegated to last place in that stage of the competition.
- The rounds: qualifying against the clock picks the eight best teams, who are paired in a first round. The four winners ride the finals, the two fastest for gold.
- Ties: decided by the best time on the last lap.
- Line-ups: a team may change its riders between rounds. An incomplete team may not start.
The glossary has the team sprint, the sprinters' lane, the false start and restart entry and the dead heat in timed events entry.
Tricky cases
Do all three riders have to finish?
No. Only the third rider completes the distance. The first two leave the track after their laps.
The second rider comes through a wheel before the line at the end of lap one. What happens?
The team is relegated to last place in that stage, if the review confirms it. The leader's front wheel must cross the line first.
Can the first rider give the second a push as they pull off?
No. Pushing between members of the same team is strictly forbidden.
Can a team use a different rider in the final from the one who rode qualifying?
Yes. The line-up may change from one heat to another, from the riders entered, with 30 minutes' notice to the commissaires.
Why the rule exists
Each rider gives everything for one lap in the shelter of nobody, and the next gets a flying start from the slipstream. The changeover rule stops the second rider coming through early, which would shorten the first rider's lap and gain time.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top competitions | Qualifying, a first round of eight and finals | UCI 3.2.145 |
| Olympic Games | The losing teams also ride off for fifth to eighth | UCI 3.2.146 |
| Team pursuit | Four riders, four kilometres, time on the third rider | UCI 3.2.077; UCI 3.2.080 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.2.144 to 3.2.155. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).