Race Descriptions

Danish (Win ‘n out)
First rider across the finish line on the first lap wins & retires from the race. First person across the finish line on the second lap is second & retires from the race, & so on. (On some shorter tracks, the sprint is every other lap or more.)

Individual Pursuit
The Individual Pursuit involves two riders starting at opposite sides of the track. They chase each other around the track (hence the term “pursuit”) until the distance is completed. 4000 meters for men, 3000 for women. Normally fastest two riders in preliminaries oppose each other in a final.

Italian Team Pursuit
Like a team pursuit (where there are normally four riders) but the “Italian” version can have more riders. Each rider pulls from the front for his designated distance then retires from the race until at the end each team has one rider left to complete the distance. Team to complete the distance first is the winner.

Keirin
The keirin is a race in which the riders sprint for the line after completing a series of laps behind a single motorbike pacer (derny). The pacer releases the riders to sprint 600 to 700 meters before the finish.

Kilo
Individual timed effort from a standing start over a distance of one kilometer. World class times are just over a minute.

Madison
The Madison is a massed-start event with one rider from each team in the race at any given time. One rider is in the race, while his partner “rides relief” (rests), either by slowly circling above the “stayers line” (blue) or by hanging onto the fence (if allowed for that track) until they replace their partner. The exchange or relay takes place in the form of a hand-sling in which the racing rider grabs the hand of his relief rider and throws (slings) him into the race. A strong hand sling enables the relief rider to accelerate to race speed almost immediately with less effort than by himself. Safety protocols include never riding underneath an exchanging team, and when two teams exchange together, the team behind must change above the height of the team in front. Partners alternate racing and resting throughout the race. This race is an American invention that started in Madison Square Garden in the early 1900s hence the name Madison.

Match Sprint
The oldest championship discipline still practiced and featured in all International Championships. The race “matches” one or two riders against another over a distance between 750 to 1000 meters ( two to three laps depending upon the track size). First rider across the line at the end of the distance is the winner. Riders are advanced through a series of heats to a final. The Match Sprint combines a powerful explosion of speed with the tactical savvy of chess.

Miss ‘n Out
The last rider across the finish line on specific laps is called out by the judges. Trailing edge of the rear wheel is used to determine the last rider. Also known as an “Elimination Race”.

Omnium
A series of events where points are awarded to the riders based on finish order. The rider with the most points at the conclusion of all events is declared the winner.

Points Race
The Points Race is a massed-start event during which points are awarded to the leaders at the completion of designated laps. The winner is the rider with the most points at the end of the event. Commonly 5,3,2,1 points are given to the first four riders across the finish line on the designated laps. Riders who gain a lap on the field are awarded 20 points.

Scratch Race
Quite simply the first person across the line over a set distance wins. The distance can vary from a few laps for youth races to 20km for senior events

Team Pursuit
Two four-man teams start on opposite sides of the track and chase or “pursue” each other. Each member of the team pulls on the front for 1/2 or 1 lap after which he swings up the track and slows to allow the team to advance passed before dropping onto the rear of the team. The riders continue to rotate through and off until the distance is completed. Time is taken on the leading edge of the teams third rider. (3 rider teams in women’s event).

Time Trial
A timed effort against the watch over varying distances, often 1 lap to 1 kilometer.

Team Sprint
A team time trial of three riders over three laps of the track. From a standing start, each team member rides one lap before retiring from the race. Time is taken as the last rider crosses the line. (2 women teams compete over two laps).

Unknown Distance
Basically, this is a scratch race where the riders don’t know what the distance is until the bell is rung to signify the last lap.