The individual pursuit is a

track cycling Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles. History Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its infancy, it ...

event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track. It is held at over for men and for women. The riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the fastest time. They ride on the pursuit line at the bottom of the track to find the fastest line, with each rider trying to catch the other who started on the other side. If the catch is achieved, the successful pursuer is the winner. However, they can continue the rest of the race distance to set the fastest time in a qualifying race or a record in a final.

Qualification and race format

The first round of the competition at major events is the qualifying round. This still involves two riders on the track at the same time but they are not directly competing against each other but attempting to set the fastest time to progress in the competition. In the Olympic Games the top riders progress into knock out rounds, with the top two surviving into the Gold and Silver medal race and next two into the Bronze Medal race. In the World Championships or World Cup Classic events, the top two riders from the qualifying round progress directly to the Gold and Silver medal race while the third and fourth qualifiers fight it out for Bronze. , the IOC "approved a UCI recommendation to restructure track events at the 2012 Games in London, including the abandonment of individual pursuit events."

Notable individual pursuiters

Men

The last men's Olympic champion in this event was Great Britain's

Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to r ...

. , the men's world champion is Italy's

Filippo Ganna Filippo Ganna (born 25 July 1996) is an Italian track and road cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is a five-time world champion in the individual pursuit, and has won a total of eight medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Champi ...

. *

Roger Rivière Roger Rivière (23 February 1936, Saint-Étienne – 1 April 1976, Saint-Galmier) was a French track and road bicycle racer. He raced as a professional from 1957 to 1960. Rivière, a time trialist, all-around talent on the road, and a three-ti ...

(

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) (three time world professional champion, 1957-1959) *

Hugh Porter Hugh William Porter MBE (born Wolverhampton, England, 27 January 1940) is one of Britain's greatest former professional cyclists, winning four world titles in the individual pursuit - more than any other rider - as well as a Commonwealth Games ...

( UK) (four time world 5 km professional champion) * Graeme Obree (twice world champion and set a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

twice) *

Chris Boardman Christopher Miles Boardman, (born 26 August 1968) is a British former racing cyclist. A time trial and prologue specialist, Boardman won the inaugural men's World time trial championship in 1994, won the individual pursuit gold medal at the 1 ...

(Olympic champion 1992 and world champion 1994 and 1996) *

Sir Bradley Wiggins Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional road and track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but later made the transition to r ...

(twice Olympic champion and three time world champion, later

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

winner) * Taylor Phinney (double world champion) * Jack Bobridge (set 4 km world record of 4 mins 10.53 seconds in 2011) * Lasse Norman Hansen (4 km olympic record) *

Ashton Lambie Ashton Lambie (born December 12, 1990) is an American track cyclist known for being the first person to complete an Individual pursuit in under 4 minutes, and for his moustache. Career Lambie races on gravel in Kansas. In his debut at the Tra ...

(first to ride a sub-4 minute 4 kilometer pursuit with a 3 min 59.93 second time on August 18, 2021) *

(4 km world record with 3 min 59.636 seconds at the 2022 World Championship in Paris, 24 October 2022)

Women

The last women's Olympic champion in this event was Great Britain's

Rebecca Romero Rebecca Jayne Romero, MBE (born 24 January 1980) is an English sportswoman, a former World Champion and Olympic Games silver medallist at rowing, and a former World champion and an Olympic champion track cyclist. Early life and education Romero ...

. , the women's world champion in this event is American

Chloé Dygert Chloé Dygert (born January 1, 1997) is an American professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . She has won seven gold medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships and a silver medal at the Olympic Games ...

. *

Beryl Burton Beryl Burton, OBE (12 May 1937 – 5 May 1996) was an English racing cyclist who dominated women's cycle racing in the UK, winning more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles, and setting numerous national records. She set ...

(five time world champion) * Tamara Garkushina (six time world champion) *

Rebecca Twigg Rebecca Twigg (born March 26, 1963) is an American former racing cyclist. Cycling career An academic prodigy, she enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle at the age of 14 and rode for the school's team. US national team coach Eddie ...

(six time world champion) * Jeannie Longo (three time world champion) *

Leontien van Moorsel Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel (born 22 March 1970) is a Dutch retired racing cyclist. She was a dominant cyclist in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning four gold medals at the Olympic Games and holding the hour record ...

(Olympic and four time world champion) * Sarah Ulmer (Olympic and world champion) * Sarah Hammer (five time world champion) *

(Olympic and world champion) *

(three time world champion and world record holder)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Individual pursuit Events in track cycling

Qualification and race format

Notable individual pursuiters

Men

Women

See also

References