What are the different events in track cycling?
B · Beginner · The track and the sprint events · 1 of 8Track racing is held on a banked oval and falls into two groups. Sprint events are short and explosive: the sprint, the keirin, the team sprint and the time trials. Endurance events are the pursuits and the bunch races, which are the points race, Madison, scratch, elimination, tempo and the omnium that combines four of them.
How it works
- Sprint events: the sprint, the keirin, the team sprint, the kilometre time trial and the 200 metres time trial that seeds the sprint.
- Pursuits: individual and team, with riders or teams starting on opposite sides of the track.
- Bunch events: "Points race", "Madison", "Scratch race", "Elimination race", "Omnium" and "Tempo race".
- How many on the track: at most 24 riders on a 250 metre track, or 18 teams in a Madison. Shorter tracks take fewer and longer tracks more.
- The blue band: the strip on the inside "does not form part of the racing surface". A rider who uses it on purpose and gains an advantage is relegated or disqualified.
- Control: a rider must be in firm control of the bike with at least one hand on the handlebar at all times.
- Nothing electronic: no music player or radio. Any device with a display must be hidden so the rider cannot read it.
- The judge-referee: one commissaire who watches only the riders' conduct and imposes penalties alone and at once, in the sprint, the keirin and the bunch events.
- Timing: to a thousandth of a second wherever time decides the result.
- Signals: a pistol shot starts a race, a double shot stops it and a bell marks a sprint lap or the last lap.
- Age: riders must be 17 or over for international competitions.
The glossary has the velodrome, the sprinters' lane, the bell, the commissaires panel and relegation and disqualification.
Tricky cases
Do track bikes have brakes and gears?
No, by long-standing design: a track bike has a single fixed gear and no brakes. That rule is in Part 1 of the UCI regulations, which was not read, so it is given here as general knowledge.
Can a rider look at a speedometer or power meter during a race?
No. Any electronic device with a display must be hidden so that the rider cannot read it.
Can a rider stop a race by putting a hand up after being fouled?
No. A rider "may not have the race stopped because of some irregularity of which he considers himself the victim".
A rider falls and gets back on. Where do they rejoin?
At the point where they left the track, and in the position they held before the fall. They may accept help in remounting.
Why the rule exists
With no hills, wind or traffic, a track strips racing down to speed and tactics, and each event isolates a different mix of the two. The banking lets riders hold speed through the turns, and the limit on numbers reflects how little room there is on a 250 metre oval.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 250 metre track | 24 riders or 18 Madison teams at most | UCI 3.1.009 |
| 333.33 metre track | 36 riders or 20 Madison teams at most | UCI 3.1.009 |
| Top championships | The judge-referee has slow-motion video | UCI 3.2.012 |
| Road racing | Radios at some events, brakes and gears | ../road/ set |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.1.009, 3.1.011, 3.2.001, 3.2.002, 3.2.005 to 3.2.008, 3.2.011, 3.2.012, 3.2.015 to 3.2.019 and 3.2.017bis. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).