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37-695: Cycling competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 23 at the Laoshan Velodrome (track events), Laoshan Mountain Bike Course , Laoshan BMX Field and the Beijing Cycling Road Course . The event was dominated by the Great Britain team , who claimed 14 medals in total, including eight golds, seven of them from the ten events in the velodrome. This marked

74-494: A slipstream . Individual time trial are usually held on flat or rolling terrain, although sometimes they are held up a mountain road (in Italian: cronoscalata "chrono climbing"). Sometimes the opening stage of a stage race is a very short individual time trial called a prologue (8 km or less for men, 4 km or less for women and juniors). Starting times are at equal intervals, usually one or two minutes apart. The starting sequence

111-513: A dirt course of jumps and banked and flat corners. Cycle speedway is bicycle racing on short outdoor dirt tracks, 70–90 m (230–300 ft) in length. Motor-paced racing and keirin use motorcycles for pacing, so cyclists achieve higher speeds. Gravel racing is one of the newest disciplines of bicycle racing, emerging in the 21st century. For example, one of the premiere gravel races, Unbound Gravel , started in 2006. Some precursors to gravel racing in its current form include road races like

148-474: A final individual time trial in Madrid in which the winner is often decided, providing much drama and excitement at the end of the stage race. In recent years, Óscar Sevilla and Roberto Heras have seen their lead evaporate in the time trial in Madrid. The Grand Prix des Nations was a semi- Classic event; professionals may also compete in the annual World time trial championship . The individual time trial

185-463: A fixed gear bicycle with no brakes or freewheel. The ball is controlled by the bike and the head, except when defending the goal. Cycle Polo is a team sports sport that combines elements of traditional horse polo with bicycling and is played on grass. Cycle Polo's was included in the 1908 London Olympics as a demonstration sport. The game has become particularly popular in India. Hardcourt Bike Polo

222-617: A mile in length and sometimes run for a set time (60 min, 90 min, etc.) rather than a specific distance. Criteriums are the most popular form of road racing in North America. In Belgium, kermesses are popular, single-day events of usually over 120 km (70 mi). As well as road races in which all riders start simultaneously, individual time trial and team time trial events are also held on road-based courses. Track cycling has been around since as early as 1870. The riders competed on wooden indoor tracks that closely resembled

259-486: A much better aerodynamic position. They were first brought into the time trialling public eye in the 1989 Tour de France when Greg LeMond overcame a 50-second deficit in the final day's time trial to win the Tour by 8 seconds from Frenchman Laurent Fignon . Fignon was using conventional handlebars, Lemond the new triathlon style. The concept has changed little since then, with only Scotsman Graeme Obree attempting to improve

296-493: A sport for road racers during the off season, to vary their training during the cold months. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or World Cup season is September–January) and consist of many laps of a 2–3 km (1–2 mi) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills, and obstacles requiring the rider to dismount, carry the bike and remount in one motion. Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long,

333-488: Is a more popular, fast-paced, and physically demanding variation of Cycle Polo played on hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete. In teams of three, players maneuver their bicycles while using mallets to strike a ball into the opposing team's goal. Originating in Seattle in the late 1990s, hardcourt bike polo has since gained a sharp spike in popularity worldwide, with organized leagues and tournaments held in urban centers across

370-500: Is also an Olympic event in which professionals are allowed to participate. Many of the top stage racers have also been top performers in the individual time trial, such as Lance Armstrong , Eddy Merckx , Alfredo Binda , Jacques Anquetil , Bernard Hinault , Fausto Coppi , Laurent Fignon , Greg LeMond , Miguel Indurain , Jan Ullrich , Ivan Basso , Alberto Contador , Cadel Evans , Fabian Cancellara , Tom Dumoulin , Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome . Most recent winners of

407-423: Is also different for time trialing. One-piece skinsuits that do not flap in the wind are common; tight lycra shoe covers help improve airflow over buckles and straps; long pointed helmets channel air down the riders back (the position of the helmet above the rider's back is crucial, it must be as close to the body as possible; too high and the air will just flow underneath the helmet. This is often hard to achieve as

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444-409: Is forbidden. The rider with the fastest time is declared the winner. Bicycle construction is limited by regulations covering dimensions and other features such as weight. UCI Regulations At the professional level, time trials (TTs) are frequently accompanied by motorcycles , some carrying video equipment or race officials, and riders may be followed by a team car carrying coaches and spare parts, but

481-495: Is popularly held to have been a 1,200 m (3,900 ft) race on the 31 May 1868 at the Parc de Saint-Cloud , Paris , France. It was won by expatriate Englishman James Moore who rode a wooden bicycle with solid rubber tires . The machine is now on display at the museum in Ely , Cambridgeshire , England. The Union Cycliste Internationale was founded on 14 April 1900 by Belgium,

518-491: Is similar to motorcycle trials . Points are awarded for bike handling skills. The first UCI Trials World Championships took place in 1986. Freestyle BMX is an extreme sport of stunt riding BMX bikes . Artistic cycling is a discipline where athletes perform tricks (called exercises) in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics. Cycle ball , also known as "radball" (from German), is a sport similar to association football played on bicycles. The two people on each team ride

555-413: Is usually based on the finishing times in preceding races (or preceding stages in the case of a multi-stage race) with the highest ranked cyclist starting last. Starting later gives the racer the advantage of knowing what time they need to beat (and also makes the event more interesting to spectators). Competitors are not permitted to draft (ride in the slipstream) behind each other. Any help between riders

592-536: The Tour de France , Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España to multi-day stage races such as the Tour de Suisse and Tour of California , to single day "Classics" such as the Tour of Flanders and Milan–San Remo . The longest one-day road race sanctioned by USA Cycling is LOTOJA which covers the 206 mi (332 km) from Logan, Utah , to Jackson, Wyoming . Criteriums are races based on circuits typically less than

629-401: The Tour de France have been good time-trialists; exceptions include Marco Pantani , Carlos Sastre , and Andy Schleck , who were climbing specialists . To do well in an ITT, cyclists must Beginners are often criticized for putting in a J profile effort, meaning that they often go out too hard in the beginning, compensate by reducing their efforts in the middle, and then realize towards

666-697: The Tour of the Battenkill and Boulder–Roubaix (named after Paris–Roubaix ) which are road races with gravel sections. The distinguishing features of gravel racing include long distances, often 100 to 200 mi (160 to 320 km), and mass starts that include all categories of racers, similar to Gran Fondo rides. The bicycles and courses in gravel racing vary widely, from road bicycles with wide tires used on smooth gravel roads to bicycles that are similar to mountain bike used on courses that include technical trails. Speeds achieved on indoor tracks are usually greater than those on roads. Other factors affecting speed are

703-439: The 120 km (70 mi) Cootamundra Annual Classic it is 11.8 metres per second (42 km/h; 26 mph). In the 259 km (200 mi) 2010 Paris–Roubaix , Fabian Cancellara set a speed of 10.9 metres per second (39 km/h; 24 mph), while over the 818 km (500 mi) Furnace Creek 508 , the speed drops dramatically to 8.3 metres per second (30 km/h; 19 mph). For an extreme road distance such as

740-521: The 4,800 km (3,000 mi) Race Across America , the average speed of the record holder is 5.7 metres per second (21 km/h; 13 mph), while the 2,350 km (1,000 mi) Freedom Trail over mountainous terrain in South Africa is at a record speed of 1.9 metres per second (6.8 km/h; 4.3 mph). Mountain bike trials is a sport where riders navigate natural and human-made obstacles without putting down their foot, or "dabbing". It

777-445: The UK the front wheel must have a minimum of 45% open area when viewed from the side, for safety reasons. UCI events still permit the use of disc wheels for the front, but it is very unusual. Many components are modified for aerodynamic efficiency, and manufacturers are now developing more integrated systems, such as brakes built into the fork or frame so as not to disturb the airflow. Clothing

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814-656: The United States, France, Italy, and Switzerland to replace the International Cycling Association , which had been formed in 1892, over a row with Great Britain as well as because of other issues. Since the rise of the Olympic Movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics , cycling has been a contestant event in every Summer Olympic Games . Road bicycle racing involve both team and individual competition, and races are contested in various ways. They range from

851-445: The beginning of a period of complete domination for Great Britain that would last to the 2020 Summer Olympics ; The British team would claim 21 of the 30 gold medals awarded in the velodrome over the next three Games, 70% of all gold medals on offer. Eighteen sets of medals were awarded in four disciplines: track cycling , road cycling , mountain bike , and, new for 2008, BMX . The following events were contested: * Participate in

888-532: The cyclists are not permitted to draft behind the vehicles. Race regulations typically dictate a minimum distance behind the cyclist which the car must maintain and a minimum gap that must exist between two cyclists before the car may enter that gap. Individual time trials are often used as stages in stage races such as the Grand Tours ; these vary from short prologue time trials over no more than eight kilometres (designed to create an attacking racing style earlier in

925-400: The defined parameters and must adapt their positions to fit the rules. Equipment used is very specialized, and component manufacturers can spend vast sums of time and money on wind tunnel testing to ensure their product is faster than the competition's. Deep section or solid disc wheels are often used to reduce turbulence around the spokes, but these can affect handling in windy conditions. In

962-536: The distance varying depending on the conditions. The sport is strongest in traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (Flanders in particular) and France. Mountain bike races are held off-road and involve moderate to high degree of technical riding. There are several varieties; the main categories are cross-country , enduro and downhill but also 4X or four-cross racing. BMX takes place off-road. BMX races are sprints on purpose-built off-road single-lap tracks, typically on single-gear bicycles. Riders navigate

999-519: The end that they have not put out enough effort during the race. As a result, the time trial is often considered the most difficult part of any major competition for young cyclists. Special aerodynamic time trial bicycles , clothing, helmets, aerobars and other equipment are often used in ITT events. Generally, components are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, as most of the rider's effort goes into overcoming aerodynamic drag. The rider's position makes

1036-618: The globe. Individual time trial An individual time trial ( ITT ) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: contre la montre – literally "against the watch", in Italian: tappa a cronometro " stopwatch stage"). There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes , and team time trials (TTT). ITTs are also referred to as "the race of truth", as winning depends only on each rider's strength and endurance, and not on help provided by teammates and others riding ahead and creating

1073-411: The greatest difference, and most use the now-standard tuck position, using tribars to allow the rider to position their arms inline with the wind and allow their back to sit as low and flat as possible, reducing frontal area and improving air flow around the body. TT bikes often have lower handlebars than normal road racing bikes to facilitate this. Also, the saddle is sometimes moved forwards relative to

1110-440: The handlebars and bottom bracket to allow the hips a more natural angle of motion, improving performance (for UCI -sanctioned events, the saddle must be a certain distance behind a vertical line drawn through the center of the bottom bracket). Up until the late 1980s, low-profile 'bullhorn' handlebars were used, and normal drop handlebars before them. Then in the late 1980s triathletes developed so-called tri-bars that allowed for

1147-524: The idea. His arms-under-the-torso tuck was revolutionary, helping him and others to break world records and win World Championships. The UCI banned it in 1994, but he came back with the 'Superman' position, an evolution of the traditional tri position, but with the arms fully stretched out in front. This was also banned, and there are now strict rules governing the dimensions of handlebars, which can make life difficult for taller riders who fall outside

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1184-471: The modern velodromes of today. Unlike road racing, which is dependent on environmental factors, indoor tracks ensure the sport can be competed all year round. It encompasses races that take place on banked tracks or velodromes . Events are quite diverse and can range from individual and team pursuits , two-man sprints, to various group and mass start races. Competitors use track bicycles which do not have brakes or freewheels. Cyclo-cross originated as

1221-523: The one-day road race, criterium , and time trial to multi-stage events like the Tour de France and its sister events which make up cycling's Grand Tours . The races typically take place from spring through to autumn. Many riders from the Northern Hemisphere spend the winter in countries such as Australia to compete or train. Professional races range from the three-week "Grand Tour" stage races such as

1258-564: The preliminary round only. Cycle sport Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport . Bicycle races are popular all over the world, especially in Europe. The countries most devoted to bicycle racing include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Other countries with international standing include Australia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States and Colombia. The first bicycle race

1295-423: The race) to longer distance events over flat or rolling courses, to timed ascents of mountain roads (mountain time trial). In the 1989 edition of the Tour de France , eventual winner Greg LeMond made up a 50-second deficit to runner-up Laurent Fignon over 24.5 km during the individual time trial on the final stage to win the race by 8 seconds, the smallest margin ever. The Vuelta a España often features

1332-417: The rider moves his head due to the suffering endured during a hard race). Fastest Stage (including Prologues) Fastest Non-Prologue Stage (including Stages of up to 20 km) Fastest Stage (including only Stages of up to 20 km) Fastest Stage (including only Stages of up to 40 km) Fastest Stage of Tour de France Fastest Prologue Stage of Tour de France Fastest Prologue Stage of Vuelta

1369-554: The route profile (flats and hills), wind conditions, temperatures and elevation. At a 2013 event in Mexico, François Pervis achieved an average of 21.40 metres per second (77.0 km/h; 47.9 mph) with a flying start over 200 m (660 ft). The top average speed over the men's 1 km (0.6 mi) time trial at the 2004 Summer Olympics was 16.4 metres per second (59 km/h; 37 mph) recorded by Chris Hoy . Average speeds clearly drop with increasing distance, so that over

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