Heart pounding action, digging deeper than deep, in a race against the clock and fellow racers. Check out Team USA riders competing in Sprint, Keirin, Time Trial, and other races, and the programs that help Team USA dominate international events.
Hard work does pay off. USA Cycling is proud to support high-performing athletes with financial, technological, and logistical programs that allow them to focus their efforts even further.
Athletes qualify for different levels of support -- Gold, Silver, and Bronze -- based on results.
Additionally, USA Cycling has implemented an Olympic Development Program for track cycling. For more information click here.
***Please note that any Athlete who meets the Silver or Gold level criteria above and does not sign a National Team Athlete Agreement may still be eligible receive United States Olympic Committee benefits, but will not be considered a member of the USA Cycling National Team and may not receive any of the other USA Cycling benefits including, but not limited to, travel expenses, equipment, direct athlete support, sport science or coaching services, or sponsored products.
***Please note that any Athlete who meets the Silver or Gold level criteria above and does not sign a National Team Athlete Agreement may still be eligible receive United States Olympic Committee benefits, but will not be considered a member of the USA Cycling National Team and may not receive any of the other USA Cycling benefits including, but not limited to, travel expenses, equipment, direct athlete support, sport science or coaching services, or sponsored products.
USA Cycling has developed the following sprint time standards for the 2017/18 UCI international track season. These time standards are used for several purposes, the primary being to identify athletes who have already demonstrated an international capable capacity to compete on the world cup and world championship level. Secondly, we wish to identify those emerging athletes that have the potential to develop into world-class, elite sprinters, and then provide them the necessary resources to fulfill their athletic potential.
The focus of USA Cycling’s International Elite program is on international competition in Olympic events and identifying world-class athletes who have the potential to become consistent podium contenders in world cups, world championships and the Olympic Games.
For those athletes whom meet the International Elite time standard and qualify to compete at UCI World Cups, USA Cycling may provide international training and racing opportunities at the USA Cycling European Training Center and the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Athletes will have the opportunity to race in European Grand Prix events and the UCI World Cups during the UCI track season.
The objective of the USA Cycling Emerging International program is to identify emerging international-capable athletes and provide them with the necessary training and international racing opportunities to develop their athletic potential. The focus of this program is on international competition and international training opportunities for Olympic events. Those athletes that meet the Emerging International time standard may be provided international training and racing opportunities based at the USA Cycling European Training Center. Athletes selected will have the opportunity to race in European Grand Prix events throughout the course of the summer racing season.
National level time standards are included in the table below to provide athletes the perspective for where they stand internationally and where they need to develop in order to participate in USA Cycling track sprint programs. International time standards can be met at any UCI C1-3 and CC events where starting gates and electronic timing systems are used.
All time standards must be confirmed by electronic timing. In the event electronic timing is not available, an athlete may submit a video of the time standard that was met, provided the video clearly shows the timing lines, and USAC staff is able to accurately determine a time for the given event. Video ratification will be used at USAC discretion.
It is the responsibility of the athlete to communicate with the USA Cycling national team program director when they have met a time standard and would like to be considered for a USA Cycling program or a specific event nomination.
The outdoor time standards have a +3 percent added to the indoor time standards derived from world cup and world championship data. This 3 percent has consistently been shown through several different data sets to be a standard increase in environmental correction for slower, non-controllable environments.
Using the current data of world cups and world championships over the last five seasons, USA Cycling is able to compare sea level versus altitude results. Based on this data the average change in performance for a flying 200-meter sprint was 4 percent. The average change in performance for team sprint is 1.3 percent.
Qualifying time standards for the 2017-2018 UCI Track World Cup Season, and 2018 Pan Am Championships must be on or met between the dates of TBD.
Team sprint time standards are only valid on 250-meter tracks.
The international time standards are not team selection criteria. Team selection criteria for specific events can be found on the International Event page, and Podium Program selection criteria can be found above. The international time standards are minimum standards to be considered for a team selection.
The Mission of the ODP is to Provide a sustainable pathway which identifies, develops, and prepares young athletes capable of winning future Olympic medals
USA Cycling’s ODP will provide a clearer more defined pathway on the track for young athletes preparing for future Olympic success. USA Cycling will be working with local tracks and clubs to build both Development Club Programs and also establishing a National Junior Omnium Series which will be used in selecting athletes to the ODP team.
USA Cycling runs a number of “Operation 2020” Endurance Track Talent ID / Development camps for young athletes 15+ years old and up. These camps are by invitation to the best riders in the country for development of track skills, evaluation of ability, training, and education. In addition to special invitation based on race results from across all cycling disciplines, athletes may apply to be invited to a camp. Athletes should be able to meet a number of the standards below before seeking an invitation to a camp. If you think you have what it takes, please contact Women's Head Coach Gary Sutton.
The Men's Track Endurance Program is currently being supported by Mike Norton for Data Analysis and Chris Dellasega for Strength and Conditioning.
| Standard | Velodrome (m:ss.ss) | Road/Track Power (w/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Start 250 meter* | 0:22.50 | -- |
| Standing Start 333 meter* | 0:28.00 | -- |
| Flying 500 meter* | 0:32.99 | -- |
| Flying 1 kilometer* | 1:07.00 | -- |
| Peak Power (watts/kilogram body weight) | -- | 16.0 |
| 4 minute (watts/kilogram body weight) | -- | 4.9 |
*Recommended gear: 98 inch/51x14
| Standard | Velodrome (m:ss.ss) |
|---|---|
| Individual Pursuit 4k | 4:30.00 |
| Flying 1 kilometer | 1:02.00 |
Gary leads the women’s endurance track program at USA Cycling. With more than 25 years of coaching experience, Sutton has a distinctive track record in the sport. Most recently, he was the Women's Track Endurance Coach for Cycling Australia, serving in that role since 2010 and achieving international success at the highest level with multiple athletes across multiple events. Highly respected for his technical skills, Gary is equally praised for his commitment to individual athletes and focus on developing good people – not just great athletes. Prior to coaching, he was an outstanding elite cyclist in his own right having competed in the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games and winning the amateur World Championship in the Points Race. Gary is based at the USA Cycling headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
