The final push at the Tokyo 1964 men's road race.
The earliest bicycle types were only slight improvements over walking -- the 1918 Draisienne, credited as the first-ever cycle, had two wheels, no pedals and only really worked well on downhill slopes. But it was new and expensive technology, so all of Paris just had to have one of their own.
Pedals were applied about 50 years later, followed by experiments with high wheels, gears, sprockets and suspensions. By the time the 19th Century was over, the bicycle was a phenomenon all over western Europe. And as folks are wont to do with implements that can go fast, they were racing them too.
Cycling was also an Olympic event by then -- in fact, it has been on the program at each quadrennial meeting of the youth of the world. Athens had built an uncovered velodrome by 1896, and six races were held during the inaugural modern Games. Large paying crowds and Greek royals attended the events, which helped the sport catch on even further.
John Lake of the United States would be the first non-European cyclist at the Olympics four years later in Paris, and he finished third in a 2000-meter match sprint event. By 1912, 15 nations were pedaling for gold, from as far away as Chile and South Africa.
The competitions that have been held at the Olympics for most of their history can be divided into track and road. In 1896, 26 riders raced from Athens to Marathon and back, and all had to sign their names on an official document to prove that they had reached the farthest point. Track events such as pursuits and sprints are always held in a velodrome, and the road events take place on flat, smooth outdoor courses.
Both use different types of bikes, and the modern ones are a long way from those early hobbyhorses.
Women cyclists were first allowed to compete at the Games at Los Angeles 1984 with a road race, and track events for female competitors began at Seoul 1988.
Cycling Fun Facts:
- The Keirin and the Madison are not brand new dances that are real easy to do, they're track cycling events. The Madison, named after Madison Square Garden, is a century-old tag-team sprint in which riders switch off during the course of a 60km run. Changeovers are daring and exciting. The Keirin is a Japanese race in which riders are paced by a motorbike before darting around each other in elimination sprints. Both were added to the Olympic menu in 2000.
A recent BBC investigation claims that Keirin supporters paid the Union Cycliste Internationale over US $3 million to add the sport.
- The Athens 2004 men's road race was something of a grueling elimination grind: of the 153 cyclists on the start list, less than half (75) crossed the finish line. For five and a half hours, temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit and numerous spectacular crashes winnowed down the field. Finally, Paolo Bettini of Italy emerged as survivor and champion.
- For the first time at the Olympics, BMX races will be held for each gender. The letters stand for Bicycle Motorcross, and the sport was born in the 1970's when Californian teenagers attempted to emulate motorcyclists without motors of their own. BMX has been recognized by the UCI since 1993, and has been part of the X Games for much of that festival's 14-year history.
In 2008:
There will be 18 gold medals available in Beijing, and nine of them will be won on the Laoshan Velodrome track. Men's competitions are as follows: individual and team sprints, the Madison and Keirin, a 40km points race, and team and individual pursuit races of 40km each. For women, there is a sprint, a 3000m individual pursuit and a 25km points race. On the streets of Beijing, each gender will compete in a road race and a time trial. Cross-country mountain biking, on the program since 1996, will be contested for men and women.
The road races will be held the first weekend, then after two days off, the road time trials will take place. Track cycling will occur from August 15 through the 19th (Days 7-11), followed by the BMX races on August 20 and 21 (Days 12 and 13). The mountain bike races will close the competition on the final Friday and Saturday.
A total of 63 countries will send cyclists to the Beijing Games.
All-Time Medal Standings:
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 France | 36 | 23 | 14 | 73 |
 Italy | 30 | 16 | 7 | 53 |
 Netherlands | 13 | 16 | 8 | 37 |
 Australia | 13 | 15 | 13 | 40 |
 Germany | 12 | 13 | 14 | 39 |
 Soviet Union | 11 | 4 | 9 | 24 |
 Great Britain | 10 | 20 | 19 | 49 |
 Belgium | 6 | 7 | 11 | 24 |
 United States | 6 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
 Denmark | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 |
| West Germany | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
 East Germany | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
 Russia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
 Spain | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
 Sweden | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
 Switzerland | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
 Czechoslovakia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
 Canada | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
 Greece | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
 Austria | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Estonia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Norway | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 South Africa | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
 Poland | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
 Japan | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 China | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Mexico | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Uruguay | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Kazakhstan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Belarus | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Colombia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Jamaica | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Portugal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Latvia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
(Photo via 1964 Official Report)
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