INTRODUCTION The track to be used for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games is a ovalshaped, 250 metres around and built from Siberian Pine. The straights of most tracks have a tilt of around 12 whereas the tilt on the bends can be 40 to 42. A cycling track The black marks on the Pole line are 10m apart Sprinter's line This red line marks the outer edge of the section of the track called the Sprinter's lane. The inner edge of this section is the (blue) Pole line. The blue pole line and the red sprinter's line can be seen clearly During a sprint finish, the riders must follow certain rules whilst they are in the sprinter's lane. Pole line The Pole line is a blue line which marks the inner edge of the track. This line is used to measure the length of the track. The yellow area on the inside of the track is used by riders to warm up before a race or to cool down after an event. Finish Line Track events vary greatly in length. They range from the sprints which are three laps but only the last 200m is timed to the 40km Points race which also includes 16 sprints to the finish line to gain points. In some events riders start together whereas in others riders start on opposite sides of the track and try to overtake their opponents. STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 1
HISTORY OF CYCLING The very first bicycles relied on the rider pushing the bike along with their feet. There were no pedals, gears or brakes. In 1839 a Scottish blacksmith invented the pedal and crank, this enabled the rider to turn two pedals which turned the wheel. Penny farthings, the bikes with the enormous front wheel and small back wheel, were invented in the 1870s. The front wheel was made larger than the back as the makers realised that with one pedal you could travel further the bigger the wheel. The two pedals of course, were attached to the front wheel. This bicycle is over 70 years old. The frame is made from a light-weight metal material. It still has its original wood tubeless rims and leather saddle. The tire size is 28 inch. The development of the chain-and-gearing system in the 1880s made a big difference to the speed that could be achieved. It is still the system used today more than 120 years later. Cycling was an event in the first modern day Olympics held in 1896. Track racing has been held at all Olympic Games except for 1912 in Stockholm. The number of events in the Olympics has increased to include the road race, time trial, track events and in 2000 the Mountain Bike. The first women s Olympic track cycling event was held in 1988. Cycling at the Commonwealth Games Cycling has been a part of the Commonwealth Games since 1934 where three events were contested. These were the Men s 10 mile Scratch race, a men s 1000m Time Trial and a 1000 yard event. Women's events were added to the program in 1990. By comparison in the 2002 Games 16 events in track and road racing for men and women were featured that included Mountain Bike riding. A swap card from the 1962 Games in Perth Australia has an excellent record at Commonwealth Games with over 140 medals 64 Gold, 47 Silver, 30 Bronze. How many more will we add in 2006? STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 2
ABOUT CYCLING CYCLING Track Cycling Events Cat and Mouse tactics in the Sprint Sprint The sprint is one of, if not the oldest, cycling events making its first appearance at the World Championships in 1893. These one on one battles are enthralling. The sprint event is generally conducted as a two cyclist sprint match run over 1000 meters, with times measured over the final 200 meters. Tactical skill and technique are paramount as the competitors endeavour to out smart each other in every move. Changes in speed, stalling with competitors at times in a balancing act are typical Cat and Mouse tactics employed by sprinters to surprise their opponents. To qualify for the sprint finals each rider contests a Flying 200 meters. The Sprint Each rider is given 3 laps in which to build up their speed to the maximum for the final 200 meters, which is timed. Only the fastest eight riders qualify to contest the Finals. Team Sprint A Team Sprint is conducted over three laps of the velodrome and is a form of relay. Each Team has three riders; with two teams competing simultaneously, each one starting on opposing sides of the track. For the start the riders line up three abreast on the Pursuit line. The pursuit line is also the finishing line for this event. Each rider must complete one full lap of the velodrome at setting the pace. With the first rider starting at the bottom of the track leading out the next two for one complete lap then swinging up and out of the event. The second rider then completes a full lap at setting the pace, once completed he swings up and out of the event, leaving the final rider to complete his lap. The team that completes the three laps the quickest is the winner. Time Trial The time trial, as the name suggests, is a race against the clock. Competitors are timed to see how quickly they can complete their required distance. The men s event takes place over 1,000 metres (often referred to as the kilo ) while the women s event is held over 500 metres. This event is an extremely precise discipline. It requires the coordination of numerous skills to maximise efficiency and speed as the slightest error adds vital 1/100ths of a second to the overall time. Racing the clock in the Time Trail STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 3
The early stages of the Scratch Race Scratch Race The scratch race is one of the most exciting events. It begins as a huddled mass of competitors who race the 20km distance with the first rider across the line named the winner. Tactics are important in this event, with endurance riders keeping the pace fast and furious from the gun in an effort to eliminate the sprint specialists, who will attempt to shelter within the group to conserve their strength for the final laps. The final five laps are where the skills, judgement and strength of the competitors come to the fore as the field surges to the finishing line. Points Race The points race looks similar to a scratch race to the first-time viewer. In this event, however, there are sprints held every 10 laps for points. Points are awarded to the first four riders of each sprint (5 for first, 3 for second, 2 for third and 1 point for fourth). Double points are awarded on the last lap. The World Track Cycling Championships were held in Melbourne in 2004 Points are not the most important aim of the riders - they are trying to lap the rest of the field. If a rider can achieve this, then he or she wins the race. If more than one rider gains a lap or the whole field finishes on the same lap, then points decide the outcome. When two or more riders finish equal on points, their placing in the final sprint determines the winner and place getters of the race. The women s points race is 25km while the men s is 40km. Keirin The Keirin is an updated version of the traditional sprint event and began in Japan in the 1940s. Six riders compete in the Keirin race over six laps. The riders line up in predetermined positions across the track and wait for a motorcycle or derny to come by and pace them. Keirin The fight for the best position behind the derny requires bravado and skill, but riders must not pass the derny for the first four and a half laps of the six-lap event. The riders follow the derny as it increases its speed to about 60km/h. Only men compete in the Keirin. Individual Pursuit The pursuit is classified as a track endurance event. The riders start and finish on the pursuit lines, with one competitor starting on either side of the track. Each rider competes in a qualifying round, where they are timed over the distance of the event. STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 4
The fastest eight then compete against each other for one of the four places in the finals. In these rounds of finals, the riders times are not the only measurement of success. If a rider in pursuit of their opposition actually catches them, they are deemed to have won the race. The women compete over 3,000m and the men over 4,000m in the individual pursuit. Individual Pursuit Teams Pursuit A pursuit team consists of four riders and this event is conducted using the same format as the individual pursuit. The teams line up across the pursuit line with the team s official time being taken when the third rider completes the course. During this event all the riders share the workload of setting the pace, after which they move up the track and tuck back into the slipstream at the rear of the team. Teams Pursuit CYCLING EQUIPMENT The velodrome has a circumference of 250 metres, which is measured on the innermost edge of the track. It has a timber surface of Baltic Pine and the banking or angle of the track surface is 11 degrees in the straights and 42 degrees on the bends and is seven metres wide. Velodrome Helmets are designed to be aerodynamic with a pointed tail which is designed to reduce helmet drag. The shape used often resembles a tear drop. Helmets are required for all cycling events. Track racing helmet STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 5
This Australian designed and built bicycle leads the world. It was used by Anna Meares and Ryan Bailey at the Athens Olympics winning gold in the Sprint events. These bicycles were based on the 'Superbike' design that came from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in the early 90s. A modern track racing bicycle The Frame The space age frame design incorporates a material called carbon fibre. This material can be moulded to almost any shape maintaining maximum strength while using the minimum amount of material. The frame is significantly more aerodynamic than the standard tubed frame. The Wheel The high-tech wheels used in some track cycles are solid and made from carbon fibre, an extremely strong and light material. The carbon fibre again is used for its high strength and stiffness. These carefully designed wheels enable overall weight reduction in the wheels which results in superior acceleration for the rider. The solid nature of the wheel also lowers wind resistance which means less energy is used by the cyclist. The Tyres The tyres are pumped up to amazing pressures of up to 200 psi which is more than 4 times the air pressure in a tyre on an average family car. This high pressure translates into less of the tyre in contact with the track surface which means less rolling resistance. STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 6
CYCLING EVENT INFORMATION Track events will be held at the indoor velodrome at the Vodafone Arena in the early days of the program. The Track events will be followed by the time trial, road race and mountain bike events. Track cyclists will be able to train on the competition velodrome and the State Track Cycling Centre venue in Darebin. Events Track CYCLING Event Male Female Sprint Team Sprint 500m Time Trial 1,000m Time Trial 3,000m Individual Pursuit 4,000m Individual Pursuit The Cycling track 4,000m Team Pursuit 20km Scratch Race 25km Points Race 40km Points Race Keirin Vodafone Arena features a 250 metre Siberian Pine cycling track and has change rooms, toilets, officials' area, mechanics workshop, lighting to international standards and an electronic scoreboard. It can hold 5,000 spectators when set up for Cycling. Vodafone Arena CYCLING - DID YOU KNOW? Several new Track Cycling Events were introduced at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - the 500m time trial for women and the Madison, Kierin and the Olympic Sprint for men. Did you know that when cyclists ride close behind each other in a race it actually saves them energy? Riding like this is called drafting. It can save up to 30-40% of the cyclists' energy. That means it's a lot easier to ride behind someone else than to ride out in the open. Interestingly the person in front also gets a little bit of assistance if someone is drafting behind them. STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 7
JOIN IN CYCLING CYCLING CycleSport Victoria is the state cycling association which is linked to the national cycling body Cycling Australia. CycleSport Victoria logo Programs such as RideIt allow cyclists to participate in events run by clubs or promoters for a small fee. The fee provides the cyclist with a license that allows cyclists to participate. It also covers the cyclist for 12 months public liability insurance which includes training rides. CycleSport Victoria runs a skills-based program called J-Cycle that caters for 6 to 17 year olds. This program runs over eight sessions and focuses on developing cycling skills and an understanding of safety. The aim of J-Cycle is for young cyclists to become more technically proficient and therefore safer, while also having fun and getting a taste of the excitement that the sport of cycling provides in a competitive setting. Cycling Victoria also organises a Victorian Schools Championship which involves a 5km time trial or a short mountain bike course. Events are organised for both male and female competitors and cater for novices as well as race certified in age groups ranging from Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19. If you are interested in participating in cycle racing, a licence must be purchased from one of the forty-six clubs that belong to CycleSport Victoria. Cycling clubs are listed on the CycleSport Victoria website. To find out more about Cycling and where to take part, please contact: CycleSport Victoria www.vic.cycling.org.au Phone: 03 9328 4391 Email: vic.info@cycling.org.au Cycling Australia www.cycling.org.au STARTING BLOCKS State of Victoria, 2004 8