The Air War: Beating the wind to track cycling gold
When the cyclists are on the track at France’s National Velodrome to compete for gold, they're not just competing against other riders. They’re also fighting an invisible enemy – the air.
Women’s team pursuit cutting through the air at the track. Getty: Dean Mouhtaropoulos
As the cyclists zoom around the track at over 60 km/h, the air pushes back on them. This is called the drag force, and it gets stronger the faster they go. It's like trying to run through water - the faster you go, the harder it gets!
To beat this air resistance, the bikes and riders are tested in special wind tunnels to find the best way to cut through the air. Engineers and maths whizzes study loads of data to make the bikes and riders as slippery as possible.
The riders have to sit on the bike in a special way too. They crouch low with their head down and arms close together in front. This helps the air flow over them smoothly, so they can go faster.
There are two main events where riders work as a team to beat the wind: the team pursuit and the team sprint.
Team Pursuit
This is a 4-kilometer race with two teams of four riders each. It's all about teamwork and precision. The riders stay super close together - sometimes with only millimetres between their wheels! The closer they are, the less wind each one of them battles because they are shielded by the rider in front.
They take turns leading the group. The leader has the toughest job because they're hitting the air first. The other riders follow closely behind, hiding from the wind in the leader's slipstream.
Each rider can’t stay on the front of the group for too long or they’ll get too tired, so they switch positions about once a lap to let another rider break the wind by going in front.
Changing positions is tricky. Riders swing high on the track around bends, then swoop down to rejoin the back of the group. If they mess up, even a little bit, it can slow down the whole team.
Sometimes, a rider might take a really long turn at the front before dropping back on purpose. This helps the team because that rider blocks the wind for everyone else before falling away.
The team's time is recorded when the third rider crosses the finish line. So, sometimes one rider might sacrifice themselves – by taking a longer turn on the front – to help the others go faster!
Team Sprint
The team sprint event is like a shorter, faster version of the team pursuit. The race is only 750 metres long and each team has three riders, but they go even faster!
Lead rider in the team pursuit sets off. Credit: www.wais.org.au
Even though the race is similar, the tactics are different.
The first rider often starts so fast that a small gap forms between them and the second rider. This gap is planned carefully. It lets the second rider use the first rider's slipstream like a slingshot at the end of the first lap (the first rider moves out of the way so only two riders are left).
Getting this right is super important. If the gap is too big, the second rider won't catch up at the right moment. If it's too small, the second rider might have to slow down to stay behind the first rider, which wastes the slingshot effect.
The last rider has the toughest job. Once the second rider moves out of the way, they have to keep going at top speed for another lap, even when their legs are burning and they want to stop!
Team sprint: The lead rider tends to pull a gap on the next riders, who then try to catch and 'slingshot' past the first rider at the end of the first lap.
These cyclists have trained for years, using science and clever tactics to prepare for these races. They're not just racing against other teams - they're racing against the air itself!
As you watch the races, remember that the teams who can slice through the air the best have the best chance of winning gold. Science is helping our cyclists become champions!