The Tokyo Olympics are generating a lot of excitement, partly due to the outstanding performances of athletes from various countries.

As fellow cycling enthusiasts, we cannot miss the "cycling" events, which are one of the Olympic sports.

While the term "cycling" encompasses a variety of disciplines, and each has different rules, offering different ways to enjoy them, it can also lead to much confusion.

This time, let's take a closer look at cycling, one of the Olympic sports. Although we can't attend in person due to COVID, gaining new knowledge will make watching the Olympics even more enjoyable.

Four main categories of cycling events!

Cycling events are diverse and fall into four main categories: Road, Track, BMX, and Mountain Bike. Each category takes place in a different venue, from natural courses and indoor domes with banked tracks to city streets unique to Tokyo. The competitions are held in various scenarios, offering many highlights.

Road

Adopted as an official sport at the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, road cycling has been continuously held ever since, making it one of the few sports with such a long history. Road cycling is an extremely demanding sport that requires not only physical strength but also mental fortitude and intelligence (strategy). Competitors race against the clock for about four and a half hours, with various tactical maneuvers taking place throughout. The highlight is the final short distance of the arduous, long race just before the finish line. The battle for medals and the final sprint are breathtaking. A momentary misjudgment can be the turning point, making it impossible to blink. Enjoy the intense atmosphere of a real race, similar to what you'd see in the Tour de France.

The course for both men and women starts at Musashino no Mori Park, passes through Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka prefectures, and finishes at Fuji Speedway. The total distance, including a 10km parade section, is approximately 244km for men and 147km for women. The total elevation gain (sum of climbed height from start to finish) is approximately 4,865m for men and 2,692m for women. With steep gradients, long climbs, and a significant distance from the mountain pass to the finish, strong solo riding ability is also required to maintain any lead gained on the climbs. Considering this, the course favors tough all-rounders with good climbing skills over pure mountain climbers.

Track

Track cycling, held on a banked velodrome (250m per lap at the Olympics), is one of the most historic cycling events, having been continuously featured since the Athens 1896 Games, with the exception of 1912. It has the most events among all cycling disciplines, with 12 out of 22 events, which is more than half. Men's and women's events include "Sprint," "Team Sprint," "Keirin," "Team Pursuit," and "Omnium." In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, "Madison" was newly added, bringing the total to six medal events.

The new Madison event at the Tokyo Olympics involves teams of two riders competing over 50km for men and 30km for women, with riders alternating during the race. Rider changes happen with a waiting teammate, and physical contact is required. A highlight is the "hand sling," where a rider is pulled by hand to accelerate the waiting teammate during a high-speed exchange. Instead of a hand sling, pushing the teammate's back is also allowed, making tactics a key element of the excitement.

BMX

BMX is a relatively new sport, having been adopted as an official event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A key characteristic of BMX bikes is their simple and robust structure compared to other racing bicycles. They do not have components unrelated to racing, such as mudguards, kickstands, or lights. BMX competitions consist of two disciplines: BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle.

The highlight of BMX Racing is undoubtedly the turns. Riders strive to maintain their position while keeping speed, making contact and crashes a common occurrence. Even if a rider crashes midway, they can still earn points by crossing the finish line. Furthermore, when it comes to jumps, the speed of execution is more crucial than the height. The exciting race development keeps you on the edge of your seat.

BMX Freestyle is a newly adopted official event for the Tokyo Olympics. Among its disciplines, BMX Freestyle Park is a dynamic competition where riders perform tricks on their BMX bikes using jumps and other obstacles set up in a park. The continuous, captivating action is truly thrilling.

Key highlights include exciting tricks such as "backflips" (vertical backward rotations in the air), "tailwhips" (rotating the bike sideways), and "barspins" (spinning the handlebars 360 degrees while airborne). The high-flying tricks are breathtakingly dynamic.

Mountain Bike

Added at the Atlanta Olympics, this sport involves enjoying cycling in nature. All riders start simultaneously and compete for finishing order. The cross-country mountain bike course has various challenging sections, and a highlight is watching riders use their physical strength and skill to conquer these difficulties. The race duration is approximately 1.5 to 1.75 hours. The unpaved mountain trail, 4km to 6km per lap, includes steep uphill and downhill sections, extremely narrow "single tracks" where only one rider can pass at a time, and rocky sections known as "rock gardens."

As the competition takes place on undulating mountain courses, competitors need to understand the course characteristics and possess the power and technique to maneuver their bikes as desired. Being a single-elimination final, upsets are bound to occur in this underdog-friendly sport.

For the Tokyo Olympics, the newly built Izu Mountain Bike Course will be used. The 4.1km long off-road course, with a 150m elevation difference, is more challenging than previous Olympic courses. Each section is named after famous places and specialties of Izu, such as "Amagi-goe," "Joren Falls," "Chopsticks," "Wasabi," "Odoriko Hodo," and "Karesansui," making it enjoyable to listen to the commentary while associating it with the course features. There's also a viewpoint on the course offering a magnificent view of Mount Fuji, making it a picturesque race typical of Japan.

As you can see, cycling is a sport filled with many attractions, from BMX, which competes in skill, to mountain biking, road, and track cycling, which compete in speed. Furthermore, the unique Japanese courses and environment add an element that makes it very enjoyable to watch.

Let's fully enjoy cycling as a sport with its diverse forms of entertainment!