Cycling —Olympics: Cycling is a sport which involves riding bicycles, unicycles, tricycles and other human powered vehicles. Cycling is also a means of transport and recreation. The cycling as a sport is governed by the Union Cyclist Internationale in Switzerland and by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association.
Cycling in the Summer Games: Cycling was included in the schedule of the Summer Games in the 1896 Summer Games. Since then, cycling has been a regular event in the Olympics' program.
Cycling at the 2008 Summer Games: At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing , cycling events will be held between 9 th august and 23 rd August . Track cycling events will be held from 14 th to 19 th August at the Laoshan Velodrome, Laoshan in Shijingshan District . The finals will be held between 15 th and 19 th August . Finals of the road cycling event will be held on 9 th , 10 th and 13 th August at the Urban Road Cycling Course . The location of the Urban Road Cycling Course is yet to be decided. The mountain biking finals are scheduled on 22 nd and 23 rd August at the Laoshan Mountain Bike Course , Laoshan in the Shijingshan District . The BMX cycling finals will be held on 20 th and 21 st August at the BMX Field. Number of gold medals in contention in the track cycling events, road cycling events, mountain biking events and BMX cycling events are 10, 4, 2 and 2 respectively. Australia , Switzerland , Great Britain and Spain are the leading countries in the field of cycling.
The expected male contenders in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games are Paolo Bettini, Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho, Axel Merckx, Tyler Hamilton, Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Ekimov, Robert Julich, Ryan Bayley, Jose Escuredo, Shane Kelly, Mikhail Ignatyev, Joan Llaneras, Guido Fulst, Bradley Wiggins, Bradley McGee, Sergi Escobar, Theo Bos, Rene Wolff, Chris Hoy, Arnaud Tournant, Stefan Nimke, Juliuen Absalon, Jose Antonio Hermida and Bart Jan-Baptist Marie Brentjens.
Sara Carrigan, Judith Arndt, Olga Slyusareva, Leontien van Moorsel, Deirdre Demet Barry, Karin Thuerig, Belem Guerrero, Maria Luisa Calle, Sarah Ulmer, Katie Mactier, Lori-Ann Muenzer, Tamilla Abassova, Anna Meares, Jiang Yonghua, Natallia Tsylinskaya, Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja, Marie-Helene Premont and Sabine Spitz are the female cycling stars who are to be seen in the twenty-ninth Summer Games .
