Olympic Track Cycling Results: Men’s Keirin results in Chris Hoy of Great Britain winning the gold. A double gold day in cycling for Great Britain as Laura Trott wins gold as well in the Women’s Omnium.
| GOLD | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  HOY Chris |
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| SILVER | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  LEVY Maximilian |
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| BRONZE | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  van VELTHOOVEN Simon |
In a Keirin race cyclists sprint for victory after a paced start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer called a derny. Initially it makes laps of the track at the slow speed of about 25 kilometres per hour (16 mph) gradually increasing to about 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) followed by up to seven riders that are all jockeying for position. The pacer usually leaves the track approximately 600 to 700 metres before the end. In the Olympic race it leaves the track with 2.5 laps to go of the full eight-lap race. Then it’s an all-out jostle and sprint and the first rider to finish the race from this point is the winner. Finishing speeds are usually around 70 kph.
The women’s Omnium was won by Laura Trott of Britain. Yet another Gold for Britain in cycling.
| GOLD | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. TROTT Laura |
SILVER | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  HAMMER Sarah |
BRONZE | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  EDMONDSON Annette |
Fourth | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  WHITTEN Tara |
The Omnium is new to Olympic Track Cycling. In this race each rider must compete in and complete six separate races. Three races are each held on two consecutive days with three races each day. Men’s races are Aug. 4 and 5 and and the women race Aug. 6 and 7. The distances vary from a single 250-metre lap of the Velodrome track to a 16-kilometre race for men and 10-kilometre race for women. Omnium is a great race to watch with finishers, as in the men’s final, usually less than a second apart.
Women’s Sprint Results: Gold goes to Anna Meares of Australia.
| GOLD | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. MEARES Anna |
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| SILVER | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. PENDLETON Victoria |
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| BRONZE | Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  GUO Shuang |
This race might be hard to understand if you have never seen it before. The individual sprint is a best two-of-three races. This is a one-on-one race in which cycling tactics are as important as speed. The cyclists manoeuvre around the track slowly watching each other and then try for an advantageous position in the first two laps in order to set up the sprint in the final lap, which is only timed over the last 200 metres. First over the line wins.
About the track: There are more world championship and Olympic medals available to be won in track cycling than all the other cycling disciplines combined. There are 10 Olympic track cycling events —five for men and five for women — in London 2012.
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Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement curve. Bicycles for velodromes have no brakes. They employ a single fixed rear gear, or cog, that does not freewheel. This helps maximize speed, reduces weight and avoids sudden braking while nevertheless allowing the rider to slow by pushing back against the pedals.
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- Inside Olympic Velodrome
Olympic organizers wanted the world’s fastest track and so they have designed the track’s geometry and building to make that possible. At its steepest point the Olympic track angles 42 degrees. The inside of the dome has also been configured with special internal conditions to keep the temperatures and air completely still to optimize the chances of records being broken. Riders must maintain a speed of at least 30 kph on the corner banks just to keep upright, but most average race speeds are over 60 kph.
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So now that you are an expert check out the track cycling its an exciting event to watch. Olympic track racing is from August 2-7.
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