Your guide to cycling in Paris | Santos Tour Down Under

Here’s your complete guide to the cycling events at the Paris Games

Everything you need to know about the Australian Cycling athletes, what events they're competing in, an overview of the cycling disciplines and event schedules, plus when and where to watch all the action.

From the 26 July - 11 August 2024, over 460 Australian athletes compete in 33 different sports in Paris. Twenty five of those are Australian athletes competing for gold across five cycling disciplines: Road, Track, Mountain, BMX & BMX Freestyle.

Ten Aussies will be making their debut across the disciplines.

With cycling events happening every day, you won't be short of any cycling action.

Road Race

3 - 4 August

Men's - At 273 kilometres, the men's road race features 2,800 vertical metres. The finale is played out on a city circuit in the hilltop neighbourhood Montmartre. A sharp cobbled climb is tackled three times, the last time 9.5 kilometres before the finish in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Women's - At 158 kilometres, the women's road race features 1,700 vertical metres. The finale is played out on a city circuit in the hilltop neighbourhood Montmartre. A sharp cobbled climb is tackled three times, the last time 9.5 kilometres before the finish in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Grace Brown (NSW) 🏅 (2020) - Women's Road Race (47), Women's Individual Time Trial (4)
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (VIC) 🧡
Lauretta Hanson (VIC) 🧡

MEN

Michael Matthews (ACT) 🧡
Simon Clarke (VIC) 🏅 (2016) - Men's Road Race (25)
Lucas Plapp (VIC) 🏅 (2020) - Cycling Track Men's Team Pursuit (🥉)

Men's

Saturday 3 August
6:30pm

Women's

Sunday 4 August
9:30pm

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

Men's Course Map
Men's Stage Profile
Women's Course Map
Women's Stage Profile

Men's Course Map

Men's Stage Profile

Women's Course Map

Women's Stage Profile

Individual Time Trial

27 - 28 July

For the first time in history, men and women will share the same route for their individual time trials.

The course is a round trip from Les Invalides to the Bois de Vincennes and back, before crossing the finish line on Pont Alexandre III.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Grace Brown (NSW) 🏅 (2020) - Women's Road Race (47), Women's Individual Time Trial (4)

MEN

Lucas Plapp (VIC) 🏅 (2020) - Cycling Track Men's Team Pursuit (🥉)

Women's

Saturday 27 July
10:00pm

Men's

Sunday 28 July
12:04am

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

Individual Time Trial Course Map
Individual Time Trial Stage Profile

Individual Time Trial Course Map

Track

6 - 11 August

There are six different track events which both men & women compete in:

Sprint:
An individual race where matches are contested between two riders who cover three laps of the track. The first rider over the line wins the race, best of three races wins the match. The top 16 riders qualify for the knockout stages with a flying 200-metre time trial.

Keirin:
Up to seven riders compete in this six-lap race. A pacer is used, which gradually increases in speed as the cyclists draft behind while manoeuvring for position. The pacer accelerates to 50km/h, and when only three laps remain, it pulls away to allow the riders to sprint in a wild dash for the finish.

Madison:
Teams of two riders take turns to race in a 50km (men) or 30km (women) endurance relay. The resting rider has to touch the racing rider when changing over.

Team Sprint:
A team of three riders race around the track. The leading rider must complete a lap and swing up in a designated zone 15 metres on either side of the finish line. The second rider takes over the pace for the middle lap before the third rider finishes off. The race is a test of a team’s ability, and the quickest team over the three laps wins.

Team Pursuit:
A 4km race between two teams of four riders, who race to overtake the other team or to beat their time.

Omnium:
This is a multiple-race event. Four races are held in a day, and riders are awarded points for their finishing position, which are totalled at the end to find their ranking. The four races are tempo race, scratch race, elimination race and a points race.

All track racing will take place at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome complex.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Alexandra Manly (WA) 🏅 (2020) – Cycling Track Women's Team Pursuit (5)
Chloe Moran (SA) 🧡
Georgia Baker (TAS) 🏅🏅 (2016, 2020) - Team Pursuit (5), Cycling Track Women's Madison (7), Cycling Track Women's Team Pursuit (5)
Kristina Clonan (QLD) 🧡
Maeve Plouffe (SA) 🏅(2020) – Cycling Track Women's Team Pursuit (5)
Sophie Edwards (SA) 🧡

MEN

Conor Leahy (WA) 🧡
Kelland O’Brien (VIC) 🏅 (2020) - Cycling Track Men's Madison (12), Cycling Track Men's Team Pursuit (🥉)
Leigh Hoffman (SA) 🧡
Matthew Glaetzer (SA) 🏅 🏅 🏅 (2012, 2016, 2020) - Team Sprint (4), Keirin (10), Sprint (4), Team Sprint (4), Keirin (5)
Matthew Richardson (WA) 🏅 (2020) - Cycling Track Men's Keirin (5), Sprint 1/32 Finals Repechages (3), Cycling Track Men's Team Sprint (4)
Oliver Bleddyn (SA) 🧡
Sam Welsford (WA) 🏅🏅 (2016, 2020) -  Cycling Track Mens 4000m Team Pursuit (🥈), Cycling Track Men's Omnium (11), Cycling Track Men's Team Pursuit (🥉)

Sprint:

Men's Sprint, Qualifying
Wednesday 7 August – 8:15pm

Men's Sprint, Quarterfinals - Decider
Friday 9 August – 2:48am

Women's Sprint, Qualifying
Friday 9 August – 9:30pm

Men's Sprint, Semifinals - Decider
Friday 9 August – 11:22pm

Men's Sprint, Finals - Decider
Saturday 10 August – 3:08am

Women's Sprint, Quarterfinals - Decider
Sunday 11 August – 3:44am

Women's Sprint, Semifinals - Decider
Sunday 11 August – 7:48pm

Women's Sprint, Finals - Decider
Sunday 11 August – 9:14pm

Keirin

Women's Keirin, First Round
Wednesday 7 August - 8:56pm

Women's Keirin, Quarterfinals
Friday 9 August – 12:48am

Women's Keirin, Semifinals
Friday 9 August – 1:45am

Women's Keirin, Final for Gold
Friday 9 August – 2:41am

Men's Keirin, First Round
Sunday 11 August - 6:59pm

Men's Keirin, Semifinals
Sunday 11 August - 7:59pm

Men's Keirin, Final for Gold
Sunday 11 August - 9:01pm

Madison:

Women's Madison Finals
Saturday 10 August - 1:39am

Men's Madison Final
Sunday 11 August - 1:29am

Team Sprint:

Women's Team Sprint, Qualifying
Tuesday 6 August - 12:30am

Men's Team Sprint, Qualifying
Tuesday 6 August - 2:39am

Women's Team Sprint, Finals - For Bronze
Tuesday 6 August – 3:23am

Women's Team Sprint, Finals - For Gold
Tuesday 6 August – 3:28am

Men's Team Sprint, Finals - For Bronze
Wednesday 7 August – 3:32am

Men's Team Sprint, Finals - For Gold
Wednesday 7 August – 3:32am

Team Pursuit:

Men's Team Pursuit, Qualifying
Tuesday 6 August - 12:57am

Women's Team Pursuit, Qualifying
Wednesday 7 August - 1:00am

Men's Team Pursuit, Finals - For Gold
Thursday 8 August – 2:03am

Women's Team Pursuit, Finals - For Gold
Thursday 8 August – 2:27am

Omnium:

Men's Omnium Final: Scratch Race, Tempo Race, Elimination Race, & Points Race
Friday 9 August – 12:30am - 2:57am

Women's Omnium Final: Scratch Race, Tempo Race, Elimination Race, & Points Race
Sunday 11 August – 6:30pm - 9:26pm

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

See full schedule for track cycling here.

BMX

2 - 3 August

The Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium in Paris will host the BMX races.

BMX races are thrilling sprint races with a maximum of eight riders who launch themselves from a gate atop the 8m high 35-degree start hill. Riders can reach 60km/h while riding over alternating jumps and around banked corners.

The course is approximately 400m long and of all the five cycling disciplines, BMX requires the most protective gear with a full-face helmet, gloves, goggles and long-sleeved protective clothing.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Lauren Reynolds (WA) 🏅 🏅 🏅 (2012, 2016, 2020) - Womens Individual (15), Womens Individual (11), BMX Racing Women's Race (5)
Saya Sakakibara (NSW) 🏅 (2020) - BMX Racing Women's Race (4)

MEN

Izaac Kennedy (QLD) 🧡

BMX Race Quarter Finals
Friday 2 August - 3:30am – 5:45am

BMX Race Semifinals - Men's
Saturday 3 August – 3:30am - 4:30am

BMX Race Semifinals - Women's
Saturday 3 August – 3:45am - 4:45am

Men, Final
Saturday 3 August - 5:05am

Women, Final
Saturday 3 August - 5:20am

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

BMX Freestyle

30 - 31 July

Many exciting tricks are performed in the BMX freestyle event including backflips, tailwhips, barspins and the superman which makes this cycling discipline exciting to watch. It is the second time BMX Freestyle will feature at the Games and it will be held at a skate park designed for BMX freestyle.

In the first stage, each competitor has two runs of one minute to perform the best tricks on the obstacles of the course. No one is eliminated. The objective is to get the best average in the two runs to finish at the top of the rankings and so have the right to go last during the final stage, an advantage that allows the top-ranked racer to observe their competitors before making their run.

In a second stage, in the final, competitors must also do two runs however only the best one of the two is taken into account to determine the ranking and decide the winner.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Natalya Diehm (QLD) 🏅 (2020) - BMX Freestyle Women's Park (5)

MEN

Logan Martin (QLD)🏅 (2020) - BMX Freestyle Men's Park (🥇)

Women's Park Qualification
Tuesday 30 July – 8:55pm

Men's Park Qualification
Tuesday 30 July – 10:42pm

Women's Park Final
Wednesday 31 July - 8:40pm

Men's Park Final
Wednesday 31 July - 10:15pm

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

Mountain Bike

28 - 29 July

Elancourt Hill will host both the men’s and women’s Mountain Bike races. Elancourt Hill is the highest point in the Paris region (231m). No major infrastructure is being installed at the site in order to preserve its biodiversity, while 95% of the trails are based on existing paths.

Races feature a mass start and, in general, multiple laps. Riders take one to two hours to complete the intense course full of twists and turns, covering tens of kilometres during the event.

🧡 = Debut 🏅 = Number of Games

WOMEN

Rebecca McConnell (ACT) 🏅 🏅🏅 (2012, 2016, 2020) - Mountain Bike

Women's Mountain Bike Cross-country
Sunday 28 July - 9:40pm

Men's Mountain Bike Cross-country
Monday 29 July - 9:40pm

*All times are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

WHERE TO WATCH

WHERE TO WATCH

The 2024 Games will be broadcast in Australia on more than 40 free-to-air channels under the Nine Network.

Stan Sport will also broadcast all 329 events ad-free, live and on-demand. This includes full replays, highlights, daily talk shows hosted by ex-Olympians, and eight international / multi-language live channels.