Track Racing: A training ground for champions

Many velodromes around the world, especially those outdoors and uncovered, go unused. Thirty years ago, they were hives of activity as kids learned to ride and race while professional races filled the grandstands. At the turn of the last century, track racers were sporting icons, packing arenas in city centres and paid more than any other athletes. Yet, now, track racing, which remains some of the most thrilling bike racing as the action is fast and compressed, is fading in popularity. Coaches and governing bodies should be embracing the track as it remains the ideal place to learn skills, hone fitness, and develop tactical acumen in a controlled environment away from traffic. In his return to racing in the World Tour on the road with Ineos, sprint star Caleb Ewan took to the track with his new teammate Ben Swift to rebuild his sprint speed and fitness. One month into the racing season and he’s already logged two victories for his new team. Riding a fixed wheel track bike where the pedal revolutions are higher, forces a rider to have a smooth pedalstroke if they want to accelerate quickly, improving efficiency. Less body movement is not only more efficient as energy is transferred to the pedals but also more aerodynamic as air flow isn’t as disturbed. Seated power (where a rider stays in the saddle to accelerate) is developed on the track due to the fixed gear and bankings. If a rider can stay in the saddle to increase power output instead of rising out of the saddle to develop the same power, they will move through the air faster as getting out of the saddle increases frontal surface area. Track riding builds back muscles, glutes and hamstrings, strength gains which transfer to the road allowing a rider to stay in the saddle longer while climbing or accelerating on the flat. Riding behind a motorbike on the track can push a rider up to race speed, simulating the pace of a fast moving peloton and a mass field sprint. Many British cyclists, and notably those who raced for Team Sky and Ineos, have a rich track background and often use the velodrome to prepare their bodies for the road racing season. It’s not only road racers who have found their speed on the track but more recently US mountain bikers have been riding the track in training as they have found it is the best way to get high intensity training in a controlled environment. The combination of the speed and pedaling dynamics remains elusive on the road or dirt. The appeal lies not just in the physiological development but in the nature of the velodrome itself. It’s a compressed, focused environment. Track racing forces repeated anaerobic efforts — like the kind you’d find on the cobbles of Flanders or in a World Cup mountain bike race. In the Omnium, riders must surge above threshold again and again, just as a road rider must respond to accelerations after every corner, on every climb, or across every crosswind echelon. The ability to produce short, high-power bursts — while remaining efficient — is central to modern racing success. Track cyclists also develop exceptional high-cadence power, often spinning at 120 rpm or more while generating 1000+ watts in sprints. That translates directly to road and off-road disciplines where rapid accelerations are constant. Whether it’s launching onto a cobbled sector in Paris-Roubaix or accelerating out of a switchback in a mountain bike short track race, the neuromuscular control and leg speed developed on the track is a decisive advantage. And beyond the physical, the velodrome is a place where racers sharpen their minds. Tactical decision-making under stress is a hallmark of track racing. Events like the Points Race or Madison demand constant awareness and adaptation — skills that seamlessly translate to the chaos of a Classics race or the unpredictability of a World Cup MTB event. Lotte Kopecky, Elisa Balsamo, Filippo Ganna, and Jonathan Milan — riders with deep track pedigrees — have all recently shown how the ability to read a race, time an effort, and execute with precision can win major road events like Milan–San Remo or the Tour of Flanders. The track also enables repeatable efforts in a safe, car-free environment. This makes it ideal for young athletes learning pacing, sprinting, positioning, and drafting. Riders can build a deep understanding of their limits — pushing hard without going too deep into the red — a skill that’s critical for long road races with multiple efforts. And because the laps are short and predictable, both athletes and coaches can dial in training sessions with precision. While not every rider has access to a velodrome, similar efforts can be replicated on the road with short, high-cadence intervals, motor pacing, and repeated sprint work. However, the velodrome remains the gold standard for controlled, high-intensity, skill-based training. Perhaps, most importantly for the spectators, track racing is exciting. The spectacle of tightly bunched riders banking into corners at 60 km/h, the strategy of a perfectly timed sprint or a daring solo attack in a points race — it’s racing at its most distilled and thrilling. Bringing energy back to velodromes could reignite local cycling scenes and provide a fun, accessible entry point for youth development. In an era when talent development is more competitive than ever, it's time to rethink the role of the track. Far from being a relic of the past, it may be the key to unlocking the next generation of world-class cyclists.