After the Freestyle, BMX, MTB Cross Country, and road cycling events (time trials and road races), the Paris 2024 Olympics made way for the spectacle of track cycling, a discipline that has delivered medals and shattered record after record. Among these was the record set by Italy at Tokyo 2020 in the team pursuit with the quartet Consonni-Ganna-Lamon-Milan (3:42.307). This record stood until the semifinals a few days ago, when a devastating Australian team lowered the time to 3:40.730, ultimately taking the gold. Notably, Italy won the gold medal in the women's Madison with the duo Guazzini-Consonni (the 11th for Italy in this edition of the Games) and silver in the men's Madison with the pair Viviani-Consonni.
How did we reach this level of performance? There is no particular secret, just the right combination of three elements:
- the surface of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome (one of the fastest in the world);
- the heat;
- innovations in track bikes, which have become an essential part of this sport and a team's success.
Photo Credit: UCI
We saw futuristic track bikes speeding along the parquet floor of the Velodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, built from Siberian pinewood as used at the London 2012 Olympics. This type of wood is soft to work with, lightweight, and resistant to weather, humidity, pests, and decay. Additionally, it has a high resonance capacity, which is why it is also used in the making of violins. Unique in its kind, the Paris track measures 250 meters in length and 8 meters in width, with a constant radius of 23 meters and a 43-degree inclination in the curves. These numbers have made transitions smoother than usual and created the so-called "slingshot effect", helping riders reach very high speeds.
The weather conditions also played an important role. The alternation between rainy days and humid, warm days created a kind of "altitude effect", as Jonny Mitchell - a track sprint expert for the Belgian team - described it in a recent interview with Cycling Weekly just before the debut: "When the temperature is high, air pressure is low because its density decreases. And a lower air density allows cyclists to overcome less resistance and be faster".
Photo Credit: UCI
What makes a Track Bike
Contrary to what one might think, a track bike has a "minimal" structure: a single gear and no brakes, which means the only way to accelerate, slow down, or stop is to change the pedaling speed. Since they are designed to race only on the smooth parquet of a velodrome, track bikes are not subject to the considerations usually applied to road frames or other models.
Their very thin profiles maximize aerodynamics, allowing them to "take flight" (literally) and reach speeds of over 70 km/h. Additionally, these bikes are subject to a series of technical variables that each team adopts regarding components and accessories: head tube, handlebar stem, forks, handlebars, cranksets, wheels (usually "disc wheels", more aerodynamic than spoked ones), pedals, cleats, shoes, and helmets. Then there are the tires, inflated to higher pressures to reduce air resistance.
Photo Credit: UCI
Clothing in Track Cycling
Clothing also plays an important role in track cycling, as everything is focused on gaining every possible millisecond. Athletes wear race suits made of highly technical fabrics that eliminate any possible air resistance and adhere to the body like a second skin, increasing aerodynamic efficiency. Some suits even feature mini channels on the shoulders and arms to allow more efficient airflow from front to back. All these improvements are aimed at gaining precious tenths of a second.
In terms of footwear, track cyclists may use slightly different shoes than road cyclists. Sprinters, in particular, generate incredible power when leaving the starting gates to reach maximum speed. So, to avoid the risk of their feet slipping off the pedals, quick-release cleats and pedals are used along with additional straps.
Photo Credit: UCI
