Bicycle racing seems pretty basic, right? If you're talking about BMX or road racing, yes. The first one across the line wins. But in track cycling, there are multiple variations of the competition to understand.
First, you need to know about the track, called a velodrome. An Olympic velodrome is made of wood and is a minimum of 250 meters around where it is closest to the track infield.
You will see several lines on the track. The first is a wide blue line near the bottom. This separates the track from the infield warm-up area. Riders are not allowed here. A thin black line next to it represents the shortest distance on the track.