Guide to Cycling Events at the 2024 Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics kicks off this weekend, and the cycling competitions promise to be one of the highlights. With the iconic Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, athletes from around the world will compete for gold in the many cycling disciplines. We’ll take you through all the cycling events so you know what’s in store.  

Olympic Cycling Schedule

Date                      Event                                   Time (BST)

Saturday, July 27   Men and Women Time Trial   12:30 - 16:30

Sunday, July 28   MTB Women's Cross Country   12:00 - 14:30

Monday, July 29   MTB Men's Cross Country   12:00 - 14:30

Tuesday, July 30   Men's BMX Freestyle Preliminaries, Women's BMX Freestyle Preliminaries   12:30 - 15:00

Wednesday, July 31   Men's BMX Freestyle Finals, Women's BMX Freestyle Finals        12:00 - 14:00

Friday, August 1   Men's BMX Racing Heats, Women's BMX Racing Heats   19:00 - 21:30

Saturday, August 2   Men's BMX Racing Semifinals, Women's BMX Racing Semifinals, Men's BMX Racing Final, Women's BMX Racing Final   19:00 - 21:00 

Saturday, August 3   Men's Road Race   09:00 - 16:15

Sunday, August 4   Women's Road Race   12:00 - 16:45

Monday, August 5   Track Cycling: Women's Team Sprint   15:00 - 17:40

Tuesday, August 6   Track Cycling: Men's Team Sprint   15:30 - 18:05

Wednesday, August 7   Track Cycling: Men & Women Team Pursuit   10:45 - 13:30

Thursday, August 8   Track Cycling: Men's Omnium, Women's Keirin   15:00 - 17:55

Friday, August 9   Track Cycling: Men's Sprint, Women's Madison   12:00 - 13:45

Saturday, August 10   Track Cycling: Men's Madison   15:00 - 17:55

Sunday, August 11   Track Cycling: Men's Keirin, Women's Sprint and Omnium   09:00 - 12:15

You can view to entire Olympic Schedule on the official website. 

Disciplines to Watch

The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature a range of cycling disciplines, from the gruelling road race to the creative BMX freestyle. 

• Road Cycling: The classic road race and time trial will test riders' endurance, tactical ability, and speed.
• Track Cycling: High-speed action and intense competition await spectators in the velodrome, with events like sprint, pursuit, and keirin.
• Mountain Bike: The cross-country race will showcase riders' skill and bravery as they navigate challenging terrain.
• BMX Racing: Witness the adrenaline-pumping action as riders compete in head-to-head races and the creative freestyle event.

Road Cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The road cycling events at the Paris Olympics promise to be a spectacle, showcasing the pinnacle of endurance and tactical racing. Road cycling has been part of the Olympics program since the first modern Olympics in 1896. 

The Road Race

Date: Men’s 3rd August / Women’s 4th August

The famous road race is a gruelling test of a rider’s endurance, tactical ability, and sprinting power. Covering a demanding course, with significant elevation changes, the race is a battle of attrition. 

Both races will start off at the Trocadero, offering riders a stunning backdrop of Parisian icons including the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. The peloton will then venture outside the city, catching a glimpse of the majestic Chateau de Versailles before tackling the demanding Chevreuse Valley.

Returning to Paris, the cyclists will face a harsh test with three ascents of the cobbled Butte Montmartre, before a rapid descent towards the Trocadero finish line.

The Time Trial

Date: 27th July

The time trial is a test of pure individual strength and time management. Riders set off at individual intervals, racing against the clock over a specified distance. 

The time trials will commence at the Esplanade des Invalides and conclude at the iconic Pont Alexandre III. This marks the first time in Olympic history that men and women will compete over the same time trial course and distance. 

Track Cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Track cycling is a high-speed, adrenaline-fueled spectacle taking place in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome. Athletes compete in various events, each demanding skill and strategy.

Track cycling has also been a part of the Olympic Games since the very first modern Olympics in 1896. 

Individual Sprint

Date: Men’s 9th August / Women’s 11th August

The sprint is a head-to-head race over 3 laps of the track. Riders use explosive power and tactical nous to outmanoeuvre their opponents. The Olympic sprint includes a qualifying round, followed by a series of matches leading to the gold medal final.

Team Sprint

Date: Women’s 5th August / Men’s 6th August 

In the team sprint, three riders take turns leading out their teammate for a powerful finish. The team that crosses the line first after three laps wins. This event relies on teamwork, power, and very good posture to minimise air resistance.

Keirin

Date: Women’s 8th August / Men’s 11th August 

The keirin is a unique event where cyclists race behind a motorised pace bike called a derny After 750m, the derny leaves the track and a three-lap sprint begins. This event requires tactical awareness with explosive speed to come out on top.

Team Pursuit

Date: 7th August

The team pursuit involves two teams of four riders competing against each other. Starting from opposite sides of the track, they race over four kilometres. 

Victory is determined by achieving the fastest time or by overtaking the opposing team. Crucially, only the time of the third rider to cross the finish line counts; the fourth rider's time is irrelevant.

Omnium

Date: Men’s 8th August / Women’s 11th August

The omnium is a multi-discipline event consisting of 4 events over in a day- the scratch race, tempo race, elimination race and points race. It tests a rider’s versatility and endurance.

Madison

Date: Women’s 9th August / Men’s 10th August

The Madison is a points race for pairs of riders. Teams can earn points by sprinting for intermediate finishes or by lapping the field. As one rider pushes the pace, their teammate strategically drops back to conserve energy, before re-entering the race with help from their teammate.  The key element that makes it exciting is that riders get "thrown" into the race by their partners by performing a handsling (all whilst travelling at 50+kph!)

Mountain Biking at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Mountain biking has only been in the Olympics since Atlanta in 1996 and showcases athletes' endurance and technical skill, and makes for good TV. The sole MTB event will take place at Elancourt Hill near Paris. 

Cross-Country Olympic (XCO)

Date: Women’s 28th July / Men’s 29th July

Competitors begin simultaneously and complete multiple circuits of a demanding 4.4km course that includes a challenging 110m elevation gain. Riders risk elimination if lapped or significantly trailing the leader. Cross country courses are notoriously tough, demanding exceptional technical ability (so expect a few crashes.)

The XCO events for both men and women will take place at Elancourt Hill.

BMX at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Finally, BMX cycling has two distinct disciplines at the Olympics: BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle. BMX is a relative newcomer to the games, with racing making its debut at Beijing in 2008, and Freestyle at Tokyo 2020. 

BMX Racing

Date: 1st - 2nd August

BMX Racing is a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled event where riders compete head-to-head on a challenging track filled with jumps, berms, and turns. 

BMX Racing at Paris involves six riders sprinting around a 400-meter track filled with jumps and obstacles.

Athletes compete in three preliminary heats, earning points based on their finishing position (lower scores are better).

The top twelve progress to the semifinals, while the remaining riders contest a last-chance qualifier. Semifinals are also contested over three heats, with the fastest eight riders advancing to the final showdown.

BMX Freestyle

Date: 30th - 31st July

BMX Freestyle is a showcase of athleticism, creativity, and style. It involves riders performing a range of tricks on a course featuring ramps, jumps, and walls. 

Competitors have two 60-second runs in qualifying, with their average score determining the nine finalists. The final round consists of two runs, with the highest score counting. A panel of five judges awards points (0.00-99.99) based on trick difficulty, innovation, execution, height, and overall style.