The Elimination Race in Track Cycling: Patterns and Predictors of Performance

Daniel B Dwyer; Bahadoreza Ofoghi; Emy Huntsman; Daniel Rossitto; Clare McMahon; John Zeleznikow

The Elimination Race in Track Cycling: Patterns and Predictors of Performance

Authors

Daniel B Dwyer Deakin University
Bahadoreza Ofoghi Victoria University, School of Sport and Exercise, Melbourne, Australia
Emy Huntsman Victoria University, School of Management and Information Systems, Melbourne, Australia
Daniel Rossitto Victoria University, School of Management and Information Systems, Melbourne, Australia
Clare McMahon Victoria University, School of Management and Information Systems, Melbourne, Australia
John Zeleznikow Victoria University, School of Management and Information Systems, Melbourne, Australia

Keywords:

performance analysis, multi-event, statistical analysis, machine learning

Abstract

The track cycling Omnium is a multi-event competition that has recently been expanded to include the Elimination Race (ER), which presents a unique set of physical and tactical demands. The purpose of this research was to characterise the performance attributes of successful and unsuccessful cyclists in the ER, that are also predictive of performance. Video recordings of four international level ERs were analysed. The performance attributes measured related to the cyclists’ velocity and two dimensional position in the peloton. The average velocity of the peloton up to lap 30 (of 50) was relatively high and consistent (52.2±1.5 km/h). After lap 30, there was a significant (p<0.001) change in velocity (49.9±2.4 km/h), characterised by more fluctuations in lap-to-lap velocity. Successful ER cyclists adopted a tactic of remaining in the middle of the peloton, in the lower lanes of the velodrome, thus avoiding the risk of elimination at the rear and the extra effort required to remain on the front of the peloton. Unsuccessful cyclists tended to reside in the rear and upper (higher) portions of the peloton, risking elimination more often and having to ride faster than those in the lower lanes of the velodrome. The physiological demands of the Elimination Race that are determined by velocity, vary throughout the Elimination Race and the pattern of movement within the peloton is different for successful and unsuccessful cyclists. The findings of the present study may confirm some aspects of race tactics that are currently thought to be optimal, but they also reveal novel information that is useful to coaches and cyclists who compete in the Elimination Race.

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Author Biography

Daniel B Dwyer, Deakin University

Senior Lecturer in Applied Sport Science

Published

2013-12-31

How to Cite

Dwyer, D. B., Ofoghi, B., Huntsman, E., Rossitto, D., McMahon, C., & Zeleznikow, J. (2013). The Elimination Race in Track Cycling: Patterns and Predictors of Performance. Journal of Science and Cycling, 2(2), 6-12. Retrieved from https://www.jsc-journal.com/index.php/JSC/article/view/55

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Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2013)

Section

Original articles

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