Track Bike Racing: Endurance Events

While track racing sprint events can get the blood running, endurance races are packed full of strategy and edge-0f-your-seat moves. This article will cover the most popular types of endurance track racing events and the nuances of each.

Endurance Track Bike Racing Events

Scratch Race - This is a mass start track bike race event for a set number of laps where the first rider across the finish line at the end wins. If a rider laps the field and maintains that advantage, he places above riders who have completed fewer laps.

Points Race – Also a mass start event, the points race is a race for a set number of laps. However, at predetermined intervals, there are sprint laps that award points to the first four riders across the line. Points for first through fourth are 5, 3, 2, and 1 point respectively and the rider at the end of the race with the most number of points wins. If a rider laps the field, it’s a 20 point score (making lapping the field a popular strategy to win a points race).

Madison – This is a mass start team event where there are 2 riders from each team in the race at one time. Named after the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City, one rider is working in the race while the other team member is circling at the balustrade waiting to be set into the race by his or her team mate. Active riders are exchanged through a move known as a hand sling, whereby the rider coming out throws the rider coming in into the race with a back-to-forward hand motion, propelling the rider into the pack. Adding to the excitement of the Madison is a points race element. Sprint laps for points (exactly like a points race) are held at predetermined intervals. Madison races are held for a set number of laps and the team with the most points at the end emerges the winner. The winner is the team on the lead lap and if multiple teams are on the lead lap, the points serve as the tiebreaker.

Team Pursuit - This is a team event with two teams of 4 riders (men’s events) or 3 riders (women’s events) starting on opposite sides of the track from a standing start at the same time. The goal it to either overtake the other team or in the event that team cannot be caught, complete the prescribed distance in the fastest time. Time is determined by all three riders coming out of draft position and crossing the line together instead of in a straight line.

Omnium – An omnium is a series of track bike races assembled together where the points earned by riders in each race go to determine the overall winner. There are five events that comprise an omnium for track bike racing: a 200m flying start time trial, a 5km scratch race, a 3km individual pursuit, 15km points race and what’s referred to as a kilo or a 1km time trial. Unlike other points eligible track racing events, point in an omnium are rewarded in reverse order. Thus, the rider with the LEAST points at the end of the omnium wins.