| The start of the Track Cycling season 2009/2010 |
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The Track Cycling season kicked off this past weekend with the Manchester World Cup Classic. The velodrome was packed to the rafters, a testament to the success of the British team in recent years. The home crowd wasn't disappointed, as the Brits continued to show their dominant form with 11 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and one bronze, with other countries such as Lithuania and Russia clinching victories as well.
The Track season this year consists of four World Cup Classics, followed by the World Championships:
The World Cups and World Championships include more events than the Olympic program, with events filling 3 days at World Cups and 5 days at World Championships. The Olympic program took a hit after the 2004 Games in Athens, when the Kilometre Time Trial and the 500m Time Trial were cut in order to make room for BMX. The Olympic events are likely to change again for the 2012 Games in London, as the sport moves towards equity between men's and women's events as well as between sprint and endurance events - one likely addition is the Omnium, which is sort of like a decathlon on wheels, with sprint and endurance events being contested by the same riders for an overall points score. We will be presenting SRM data from some of the track events over the course of the season, starting with the Points Race, Women's 500 m Time Trial, Women's Individual Pursuit and the Men's Individual Sprint. |
