Track Cycling at the 2024 Olympics

[Black Betsy]

Australia fully deserved to win gold they were the better team all the way through this event. Ethan Hayter slipped due to the pressure applied by the Australians. Dan Bigham’s comment says it all.

So so so great performance... and what a lovely event this little TP(or IP) is...

 

[Brullnux]

Ganna is one of the italian names down for the Madison, along with Consonni and Viviani. I imagine it'll be Consonni and Viviavi, but would be really cool to see Ganna in the Madison

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Many years ago, when Josh was a first year junior, I asked Michael Tarling (his father) whether the TP in Paris was a potential goal of his. Did not get an answer, unfortunately. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Tarling line-up in TDU this year, as it allowed him to participate in the Nations Cup held in Adelaide and thus become eligible for selection in Paris (he beat this very Australian team in the final with Tidball, Britton and Tanfield, fyi). It is such a waste he wasn't on the eventual Olympic team. He would've put GB over the top.

 

[Didinho]

Paternoster is riding the Omnium on Sunday, confirmed. Hope she can get a medal after all the bad luck and great form this year.
I’m trying to get a ticket now.

 

[Didinho]

Van Aert doing the Omnium now 😁

 

[Brullnux]

Gaviria starting his sprint early again, albeit about 9.5km early this time

 

[Barnacle Bill]

It's time for peak Viviani

 

[ManicJack]

Damn, that rear disk exploded

 

[Brullnux]

I can't believe what they've done to my glorious omnium... I always forget how weird the tempo race is

 

[Brullnux]

Viviani in pure Zubeldia mode today, no triplete in terms of medals

 

[Didinho]

I can't believe what they've done to my glorious omnium... I always forget how weird the tempo race is

What is the difference now?

Fabio in the lead after 2 disciplines and winning this tempo race.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

What is the difference now?

Our Fabio really good legs it seems. The Czech with 2 winning laps and will win this tempo race.

Fabio in the lead after 2 races.

The Czech only got one lap in the end, I was already doubting that.

 

[Didinho]

The Czech only got one lap in the end, I was already doubting that.

Yeah I just edited my post after seeing it. Even better for Van den Bossche.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ethan Hayter's coach there on the sidelines giving him some of his sage advice...

'I want you to go out there and do absolutely ****ing NOTHING'

 

[Brullnux]

What is the difference now?

Our Fabio really good legs it seems. The Czech with 2 winning laps and will win this tempo race.

Fabio in the lead after 2 races.

It used to be an actual sort of track cycling decathlon, and you'd have: scratch race; individual pursuit; elimination race; kilo; 250m flying lap; points race. You'd then get 1 point for coming first, etc. Midway through 2010s they made it forty points for the winner, and then points race gets however many points you win in that race.

In 2016 they removed all the time trial events and added in the tempo race.

 

[Brullnux]

Ethan Hayter's coach there on the sidelines giving him some of his sage advice...

'I want you to go out there and do absolutely ****ing NOTHING'

In fairness to Hayter, you can win so many points in the points race that if you're trying to save energy it makes sense to coast two of the first three races, try to win one, and then go all out in the points race. It's what Viviani did in 2020, and he got bronze (it's also what I think he is trying today).

 

[Didinho]

It used to be an actual sort of track cycling decathlon, and you'd have: scratch race; individual pursuit; elimination race; kilo; 250m flying lap; points race. You'd then get 1 point for coming first, etc. Midway through 2010s they made it forty points for the winner, and then points race gets however many points you win in that race.

In 2016 they removed all the time trial events and added in the tempo race.

Oh yeah these are better races. Like the more individual things.
I started watching with this format. The only thing I don’t like is they get 40-38-36-.. so the gained laps doesn’t count now but only in the last points race. You worked hard for gaining the lap and only get 2 points more.

 

[Brullnux]

Oh yeah these are better races.
I started watching with this format. The only thing I don’t like is they get 40-38-36-.. so the gained laps doesn’t count now but only in the last points race. You worked hard for gaining the lap and only get 2 points more.

I preferred the previous format as it was a more all-round challenge and you got actual differences between riders: some could do the TT events well and defend in the endurance races, and vice versa. In 2012 you had Coquard up against Clancy and Hansen, which was basically a pursuiter vs a road sprinter, and the race was really tense. It feels that here everyone has fairly similar characteristics so people like Leitao and Thomas just come top three in every race.

The points race gets given loads of points I think purely for TV reasons, but it does create a weird race (especially when there's only three other events, all of which are kind of similar).

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I preferred the previous format as it was a more all-round challenge and you got actual differences between riders: some could do the TT events well and defend in the endurance races, and vice versa. In 2012 you had Coquard up against Clancy and Hansen, which was basically a pursuiter vs a road sprinter, and the race was really tense. It feels that here everyone has fairly similar characteristics so people like Leitao and Thomas just come top three in every race.

The points race gets given loads of points I think purely for TV reasons, but it does create a weird race (especially when there's only three other events, all of which are kind of similar).

The old format wasn't perfect either, but I also think there should be at least one TT event. It also felt more like a decathlon when it was held over two days.

 

[Tim Cahill]

All this constant rearranging of the furniture in Olympic track cycling and still no Individual Pursuit

Like gathering all the runners round on the track and saying sorry chaps no 100 metres this year.

 

[Brullnux]

The old format wasn't perfect either, but I also think there should be at least one TT event. It also felt more like a decathlon when it was held over two days.

Yeah you don't need the kilo AND the 250m, and ending with the kilo was a bit boring so I am glad they swapped it out. But I agree, there should at least be the individual pursuit or Kilo instead of the tempo race, which is just a b-tier points race.

I do love the other three endurance races, though.

 

[Brullnux]

All this constant rearranging of the furniture in Olympic track cycling and still no Individual Pursuit

Like gathering all the runners round on the track and saying sorry chaps no 100 metres this year.

Sadly stopped us from Ganna having two more olympic golds

 

[Samu Cuenca]

As a Dane, I'd like to get rid of the elimination race. That has cost our riders many points over the years, but they've often been able/allowed to do well in the points races afterwards.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Viviani is top shelf, mans about 65, got no legs and is still here, haven't seen him anywhere near the front.

 

[Brullnux]

The bias shown to France this Olympics has been unbelievable... absolutely unbelievable