Special Sub-Topic: Olympics: Cycling Click Here To Play: Olympics: Cycling

What was the first year cycling was an Olympic sport?

1896. Cycling is one of only five sports that have been in every modern Olympics. The others are fencing, gymnastics, athletics, and swimming.

What is the track cyclists use called?

velodrome.

Which of these is NOT something cyclists use to reduce wind resistance?

use straight handlebars. Curved--not straight--handlebars let riders lean forward and reduce wind resistance. Many road racers and track riders use drag-reducing helmets ... road racers sometimes ride in packs so they can use riders ahead of them as a windbreak (although this is not allowed in time trials) ... most track bikes have solid back wheels to reduce wind drag.

What country has won the most medals in Olympic cycling?

France. France has 73 medals, including 32 gold ... Italy has 54 medals ... Great Britain has 46 ... and Freedonia is a fictional country from a Marx Brothers movie.

The bikes used for track events don't have any....

brakes. Track bikes don't have any brakes, and have just one gear, so riders must pedal all the time to keep going. The front wheels have three or four large spokes, and the seats can be higher than the handlebars for a more aerodynamic shape.

Cycling is timed by:

thousandths of a second. Cycling and canoeing are the only Olympic sports timed to thousandths of a second.

The longest Olympic road race ever was at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games. How long was it?

320 km. That 320 km, or 198 miles, would be roughly like cycling from London to Paris. The men's road race in Sydney will be 234 km, and the women's will be 126 km.

Mountain biking competitions were first held in the Olympics in:

1996. Mountain biking is one of the newest Olympic {sports;} it was first held in 1996 at Atlanta.

Mountain biking is different from other Olympic cycling sports because:

mountain bikers aren't allowed help in repairing a damaged bike. Unlike the road racing and time trial events, mountain bikers cannot receive help for a damaged bike ... mountain bikes have many more gears than track cycles, sometimes up to 24 ... handlebars on mountain bikes are usually straight, not curved ... there is a women's mountain bike {race;} the 1996 winner at Atlanta was Paola Pezzo of Italy.

Who is the men's defending champion in the individual time trial?

Miguel Indurain. Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain of Spain is the defending champion. Lance Armstrong of the USA, who's won the Tour de France the last two years, will be a competitor at the Sydney games. Pascal Richard of Switzerland is the defending champion in the road race. Jens Fiedler of Germany is the defending champion in the sprint.