Competing in the Olympics is a dream for many athletes, and that's no exception for road bike racers. Here's how the selection process works to pick the cyclists who will ride in Beijing Summer Olympics road bike race, and what you need to do to claim your place among them.
Picking the Competitors - Road Race
The men's road race has 145 total riders; the women 67. The racers who compete in these events are picked primarily on the basis of their performance in events sanctioned by the International Cycling Union. Placing in these events carries double weight: not only do cyclists who place earn a position for themselves but they also earn competitor slots for their country by increasing its over place in the standings.
Here's how the 145 slots are allocated:
Men
- From the top ten ranked countries in overall UCI standings: 5 riders apiece
- From the countries ranked 11-15 overall by the UCI: 4 riders apiece
- From the UCI Africa Tour, 1-2 ranked countries: 5 riders total
- From the UCI America Tour, 1-6 ranked countries: 15 riders total
- From the UCI Asia Tour, 1-4 ranked countries: 9 riders total
- From the UCI Europe Tour, 1-16 ranked countries: 38 riders total
- From the UCI Oceania Tour, top ranked country: 3 riders total
- From the individual rankings for the 2007 B World Championships: 5 riders total
And that's how the 145 slots for male racers are allocated.
Women
67 total female riders compete in the women's road race. Here's how the competitors are selected:
- From the top-ranked countries in overall UCI standings, 1-16: 3 riders apiece
- From the countries ranked 17-24 overall by the UCI: 2 riders apiece
- From the individual rankings for the women's 2007 B World Championships: 3 riders total
Time Trials
Selection for the Time Trial event follows a similar pattern. Criterion is based on the UCI rankings for the following areas:
Men
- ProTour riders ranked 1-10
- Africa Tour: Top ranked rider
- America Tour: 1-4 ranked riders
- Asia Tour: 1-2 ranked riders
- Europe Tours: 1-7 ranked riders
- Oceania Tour: Top ranked rider
- 2007 B World Championship: Top ranked rider not included above
- Individual Elite Time Trial Event: 1-15 top ranked riders
This totals 40 male riders competing in the time trial event.
For women, determining the 25 competitors in the Time Trial goes like this:
- World Tour by Nation: top 1-15 ranked riders
- 2007 B World Championship: Top ranked rider not included above
- Individual Elite Time Trial Event: 1-10 top ranked riders
So, to be selected for a spot in the Olympic competition, riders must be at or near the top of the international game, or very successful on one of the regional UCI tours. By competing in, and winning these events, not only do they earn a place for themselves, but by elevating their country's ranking, it helps expand the total number of slots available to their team.
