Track Cycling – European Championship 2022 [DAY 1]

August 11, 2022

Track Cycling – European Championship 2022 – DAY 1

The UEC European Championships are the annual European cycling championships that see men and women from across the continent compete in various events across several disciplines for the title of European Champion. This year’s championships will take place in Munich, Germany, in conjunction with the wider multi-sport Munich 2022 European Championships.

Guide to all of the track events at Munich 2022

Sprint: Riders will engage in a head-to-head race over three laps, in which riders will use cat-and-mouse tactics to position themselves in an optimal position to better their opponent prior to the final sprint, with the first to cross the finishing line taking the victory.

Team Sprint: Two opposing teams of three riders compete against each other over a distance of three laps, with the rider at the front dropping out of the race after each completed lap and the last remaining riders from each team going head-to-head on the final lap for the victory.

Keirin: Up to seven riders initially ride three and a half laps behind the derny with no overtaking, before they are then unleashed for the remaining three and a half laps and a fast sprint to the line around the velodrome ensues.

Kilo: A solo effort against the clock over a distance of 1km for the men and 500 metres for the women, after which the rider with the fastest time will emerge victorious.

Individual Pursuit: The riders start at opposite ends of the velodrome and then chase each other around the velodrome, with the rider who sets the fastest time or catches their opponent emerging as the winner. The rider who loses the race is then eliminated from the event, whilst the winner will progress through the various knockout stages until the final.

Team Pursuit: In a similar format to the individual pursuit, the team that sets the fastest time or that catches the opposing team wins the race. Though each team will start with four riders, it is only necessary for three riders to finish, as the time is measured after the first three riders have crossed the finish line.

Scratch Race: In what is effectively a mass sprint race, all of the riders start together and whoever finishes the allocated number of laps first wins the race.

Points Race: The race begins with a mass start for all of the riders, with whoever has the most points at the end of the race wins the event. Points are awarded after pre-set distances. The riders who finish the race after pre-defined laps in the top-four positions will receive 5, 3, 2, 1 points accordingly. In the final classification after a certain number of laps, the top-four will receive double points of 10, 6, 4, 2 points respectively. In addition, a rider lapping the field will be rewarded with 20 additional points and those who are lapped will be penalised with a deduction of 20 points. The high demands on speed, endurance, technique and tactics make the points race one of the most physically and mentally demanding competitions.

Elimination Race: Every two laps, the last rider in the field is eliminated from the race. When only two participants are left, there will then be a two-rider sprint for the victory in the two remaining laps.

Madison: An event in which the riders race in teams of pairs, where riders will alternate turns with their teammate via a hand-sling, which is used to catapult the fresh teammate into the race. In terms of format for the scoring, the race is the same as the points race, with the team with the highest number of points at the end of the race taking the victory. The race takes its name and origin from the famous Madison Square Garden, where the madison was invented and the first six-day races were held starting in 1899.

Omnium: This event consists of a scratch race, an elimination race, a tempo race and a points race, making it the most versatile of all of the track cycling events. For the results of the first three competitions in the omnium, fixed numbers of points are awarded according to the placings. The points gained in the points race are added to the account of the rider. The rider with the highest number of points in their account at the end of the event is the overall winner.