Cycling Track

Velodrome warfare on a steeply banked (42-degree) wooden oval with fixed-gear, brakeless bikes, Track Cycling includes the tactical Sprint (riders slow to a near-stop, "track standing"), the Keirin (a motorized pacer leads then unleashes a 70 km/h sprint), the Omnium (a 4-event points race), and the chaotic Madison (tag-team with hand-slings). The velodrome is loud -- the hum of carbon wheels, the squeal of tires, and the bell ringing for the final lap -- and crashes cause "track burn" from the wood.