What are the kilometre time trial and the flying 200 metres?
I · Intermediate · The track and the sprint events · 2 of 6Both are solo rides against the clock. The kilometre starts from a standstill in a starting block and is ridden flat out for 1,000 metres. The 200 metres is timed from a flying start after the rider has built up speed over a couple of laps, and it seeds the sprint tournament.
How it works
- Kilometre: an individual time trial from a standing start. At World Cups and world championships it is 1,000 metres for men and women.
- The start: the rider is held in a starting block on the inside edge of the track.
- The format: qualifying in heats of two finds the eight best riders. In the final each rides alone.
- A tie in the kilometre: the best time on the final lap decides.
- Same meeting: all riders must ride at the same meeting. If the weather stops it, the whole race is rerun.
- Flying 200 metres: "a flying start from the 200 metres line", used to select and rank the riders for the sprint.
- The run-up: on a 250 metre track the whole effort, run-up included, is three and a half laps.
- One at a time: the next rider comes on to the track once the previous one has triggered the timing.
- A tie in the 200: the better time over the last 100 metres, then lots.
- A mishap: the rider takes a new start. Only one is allowed.
- Flying lap: a separate timed event over one full lap from a flying start.
The glossary has the kilometre time trial, the 200 m time trial, the dead heat in timed events entry and the false start and restart entry.
Tricky cases
Does a rider get a second go if they puncture in the flying 200?
Yes, once. In the case of a mishap the rider takes a new start, and only one new start is permitted.
Two riders record exactly the same time in the kilometre. Who wins?
The one with the faster final lap.
Is the flying 200 an event with its own medals?
No, not as described in the rule. It is used "to select the participants and rankings for the sprint competition".
Do women ride a shorter time trial than men?
No, not at World Cups and world championships under the text read: the distance is 1,000 metres for both.
Why the rule exists
A timed ride is the purest comparison there is: same track, same distance, no tactics. The standing start tests raw acceleration and the flying start tests top speed, which is why the flying 200 is used to rank sprinters before they race each other.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kilometre | Standing start, 1,000 metres | UCI 3.2.102; UCI 3.2.110 |
| Flying 200 metres | Flying start, seeds the sprint | UCI 3.2.022 |
| Flying lap | Flying start, one lap | UCI 3.2.253 |
| Class 1 and 2 events | The kilometre may be run as a direct final | UCI 3.2.106 bis |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.2.022 to 3.2.028, 3.2.102 to 3.2.112 bis and 3.2.253 to 3.2.258. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).