Sprint (cycling)

While taking place over three(?) laps of the velodrome, only the last lap is timed, and indeed much of the race can occur as slow as the competitors can move and still keep their bicycles upright. Some riders even bring their bicycles to a complete stop (a difficult skill, as their feet are strapped to the pedals of their cycles). The reason for this strange behaviour is, like many track cycling events, all to do with aerodynamics. The reason is simple. When the riders stop their feints and actually go at full speed, a rider who manages to stay just behind their competitor can stay there while expending less effort (as they are riding through less dense air because the lead rider has pushed it out of the way). Just before the finish, the trailing rider pulls out of the "slipstream", and using their fresher legs are more often than not able to ride straight past their opponent. Of course, some riders choose to accelerate quickly before the last lap, hoping to catch their opponents unawares and establish a large enough lead to negate the aerodynamic effect.