THE 18 EVENTS:


Men:

Track (5 events): Individual sprint, team sprint, team 4km pursuit, keirin and omnium
Road (2 events): Individual road race and individual time-trial
Mountain biking (1 event): Cross-country
BMX (1 event): Individual race

Women:

Track (5 events): Individual sprint, team sprint, team pursuit, keirin and omnium
Road (2 events): Individual road race and individual time-trial
Mountain biking (1 event): Cross-country
BMX (1 event): Individual race

MILESTONES:

1816:The "Draisienne", the ancestor of the bicycle, is invented by the German Karl Friedrich Drais.

1880:The first bike chain appears and the back wheel becomes the motor of the bike.

1887:The tyre is invented by John Boyd Dunlop.

1896:Cycling is included in the programme for the first modern Olympiad.

1903:1st Tour de France.

1937:Gears become standard on most cycles.

1953:A Californian student, James Finley Scott, creates a prototype which enables cross-country riding. The mountain bike is born.

1996:Professionals are authorised to compete at the Atlanta Games.

1996:Mountain biking debuts at the Atlanta Games.

2008:The BMX event makes its Olympic debut in Beijing.


STARS:

Fausto Coppi (Italy):The "Campionissimo". Twice winner of the Tour de France, 5-time winner of the Tour of Italy, including 2 doubles in 1949 and 1952 (TDF and Tour of Italy). World road race champion (1953) and world pursuit champion (1947, 1949). The Italian also won 1 Paris-Roubaix, 5 Tours of Lombardy, 1 Flèche Wallonne and 3 Milan-San Remo races. One of the greatest of all time and also held the 1hr record for 14 years.

Eddy Merckx (Belgium):"The Cannibal". 50 victories on average between 1970 and 1973. 5 Tour de France wins (between 1969 and 1974), 5 Tours of Italy, 3 world road racing titles, 7 Milan-San Remo, 5 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 3 Paris-Nice, 3 Flèche Wallonne, 1hr record... the greatest record in the sport.

Daniel Morelon (France):King of the track. Three Olympic gold medals, seven amateur world speed champion titles.