Preview track cycling Olympics 2024 | Lavreysen, Kopecky, Ganna and more, much more!

Track cycling, a sport known for its speed, strategy, and above all, pure power. This discipline will be contested at the Olympic Games in the velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, just outside Paris. IDLProCycling.com previews the event for you!

In France, the best track cyclists in the world will compete for gold, silver and bronze in six events starting August 5: Keirin, omnium, sprint, team sprint, team pursuit and madison. Let's dive right in!

Team sprint track cycling Olympics 2024

The first medals in track cycling to be won are in the team sprint. The Dutch men won this event at the previous Olympics with Roy van den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen, Jeffrey Hoogland and Mathijs Büchli, and they will certainly aim to repeat their success. They will compete again with the first three men, though the Australians and Britons will pose a significant challenge.

For the women, the Germans and Britons are the top favorites, with China as a dangerous outsider.

Team pursuit track cycling Olympics 2024

The team pursuit is looking promising, with the participation of Filippo Ganna in the strong Italian team. Ganna and company won't have it easy, with reigning world champion Denmark and the strong Britons – including Ethan Vernon – as top contenders.

For the women, Great Britain and New Zealand are the countries most likely to win gold.

Keirin track cycling Olympics 2024

The Keirin is traditionally one of the most spectacular events in track cycling, and it will be no different at these Olympic Games. Starting behind the derny and finishing at full speed, that's Keirin in a nutshell. Harrie Lavreysen will start as the top favorite, but it's not the event where he is truly unbeatable. At last year's World Championships, he finished fourth, behind Colombian winner Kevin Quintero, major rival Matthew Richardson and Japanese rider Shinji Nakano. Jeffrey Hoogland also has his sights set on this event.

For the women, Steffie van der Peet and Hetty van der Wouw are participating, with the ultimate goal of following in Shanne Braspenninx's footsteps. However, they are not the top favorites; those are Emma Finucane, Lea Friedrich, Ellesse Andrews, Martha Bayona Pineda and Emma Hinze.

Omnium track cycling Olympics 2024

The omnium consists of four events: scratch race, elimination race, tempo race and the concluding points race. Whoever has the most points at the end of these four events is crowned Olympic champion. Lotte Kopecky has excelled in this event for women, but at last year's World Championships, she was bested by riders like Jennifer Valente and Amalie Dideriksen.

For the men, we mainly look towards road cyclists such as Ethan Hayter, Elia Viviani and Benjamin Thomas, as well as world champion Iuri Leitao.

Sprint track cycling Olympics 2024

The sprint is the marquee event, with Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen often reigning supreme. The Brabander is also the top favorite for this edition of the Olympics, although he must always be wary of Australians Matthew Glaetzer and Matthew Richardson, Brit Jack Carlin and, of course, his teammate Jeffrey Hoogland.

The favorites in the Keirin often also contend in the sprint, which is the case for this version of the Olympics. Steffie van der Peet and Hetty van der Wouw will need to watch out for Emma Finucane, Lea Friedrich, Ellesse Andrews, Martha Bayona Pineda and Emma Hinze.

Madison track cycling Olympics 2024

The madison, also known as the team race, is perhaps the most complex track cycling event at the Olympics. In this event, riders from the same country must relay each other, something the Dutch excel at. Yoeri Havik and Jan-Willem van Schip are the reigning world champions in this event, but they will face stiff competition from other strong countries, including Belgium.

For the women, this discipline will likely be ruled by the most experienced teams from Great Britain, Australia, Italy and many others.

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