Race Format
The men's event is competed over a distance of 16 laps, 4 km, by a team of 4 riders. The new women's event is competed over a distance of 12 laps, 3 km, by a team of three riders.
As with the individual pursuit, the objective is to cover the distance in the fastest time or to catch and overtake the other team in a final. Riders in a team follow each other closely in line to minimize total drag, and periodically the lead rider (who works the hardest) peels off the front, swings up the track banking and rejoins the team at the rear. The position of the third rider is pivotal because final times are measured as this team member's front wheel crosses the finishing line. Since the winning team is decided by the third rider, it is common for one rider to take a "death pull," where he rides so hard that he cannot maintain the group-pace afterwards. This allows his team-mates to briefly recover behind him before they make a final three-man acceleration towards the finish line.
Read more about this topic: Team Pursuit
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