Track
With Velodromes in both its major cities, Alberta has developed into one of the powerhouses of Canadian track cycling. Olympic gold medalist Lorie Ann Muenzer is a long time member of Edmonton’s track scene, and Alberta has produced a number of national team members.
At the elite level, track has evolved into a highly specialized discipline. Competitors typically favour either the short distance, explosive power events, or longer races which emphasize endurance.
Track cyclists in Alberta can race at local events in Calgary and Edmonton. In addition, they are able to compete for the Journal Cup, a trophy donated by the Edmonton Journal to recognize excellence in track cycling. Local competitions can have many different race formats, many designed just to be fun for participants. Journal Cup events typically include some or all of the following events.
In the Match Sprint, two to four competitors race head-to-head over 1000 metres. This race demands more tactical skill than any other as riders battle each other for the best position.
The Kilometre Time Trial (men)/500m Time Trial (women) are timed events, raced from a standing start.
The Keirin is a mass-start power event. The first portion of the race is a battle for position behind a motorbike, which the riders may not pass. After the motor bike pulls off, there is an intense sprint to the finish.
These three events are the POWER events of track cycling, favouring strong riders who train for excellence over short distances. Track ENDURANCE events, while short compared to road events, favour riders with a greater balance of power and endurance. Most track endurance riders who ride on the road are best known for their sprinting or time trialing capabilities.
Individual Pursuits are 2000-4000 metre timed events contested by two riders who start on opposite sides of the track at the same time.
The Scratch Race is a very simple mass-start race over a set distance, in which the first rider across the finish line wins.
The Points Race, meanwhile, is somewhat more complex. Raced over a set distance, this event features sprints for points at regular intervals. Racers may also gain additional points by lapping the field. The winner is the rider with the most points at the end of the race.
The Madison is a modified version of the Points Race where teams of two riders compete to gain points and additional laps. The winning team is the team which has completed the most laps with the greatest number of points. It is possible to win a Madison without winning any points by lapping the field.
There are two types of Omnium in track cycling. Both recognize overall excellence rather than specialization in a particular event.
The UCI Omnium is a one day competition with a specified format of five events: 200 metre time trial, 5 km scratch race, 3000 metre pursuit (2000 for women and juniors), 15 km points race and kilo (500 metre for women and juniors). CBTL runs a club event following this format in May. Most ABA events have an event Omnium used for awarding of event prize money. Points are awarded for each event based on a score of 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 points for the top six finishers in each category. These points are also used for the Journal Cup. | |
Track Racing CategoriesUnder 17 Men
Junior Men
Espoir Men 19-22
Elite (Senior) Men 23-29
Women 10-16
Women 17-18
Elite (Senior) Women 19-29
Master A Men/Women 30-39
Master B Men/Women 40-49
Master C Men/Women 50-59
Master D Men/Women 60-69
Master E Men/Women 70-79
Master F Men/Women 80+
*Category Age on December 31
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