LA World Cup Classic... Continued

The stands were packed when Tsylinskaya started her gold medal ride in the women’s sprint. As a true powerhouse in the sprint and 500m time trial events, they call her the Belarusian Queen of Sport. I look forward to watching her compete in the Beijing Olympics.

It’s not just the athletes that make the event for
me though–there’s a whole crowd of people required to run these events. The athletes and the big show are still the main attraction, but inside the gates you see the sports doctors, the coaches, mechanics, soigneurs, UCI officials and event center staff all wrestling with personal races of their own. Many of them know each other having traveled from World Cup to World Cup, year after year. Even after only one day, it is obvious that the sport is steeped in tradition and respect.

World Cup And Olympic Track Cycling Events
There’s a little something for every kind of cycle racer at the track.
Sprint = Linebackers on wheels doing 45 MPH
1km/500m Time Trial = Agonizing seconds
Individual Pursuit = Agonizing minutes
Team Pursuit = Misery loves company
Team Sprint = More misery, less company
Keirin = Would you like some head butting with your sprinting and Kilo?
Scratch = Sprinters who don’t drink beer
Points Race = A mix between a criterium and a mathclass
Madison = A criterium, a mathclass and acrobatics show