Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Cycling preview

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Cycling finals schedule

All dates listed as according to Japan Standard Time (UTC+9).

Friday, July 30: Men’s BMX racing, Women’s BMX racing.

Sunday, August 1: Men’s BMX freestyle, Women’s BMX freestyle.

Monday, August 2: Women’s team sprint.

Tuesday, August 3: Men’s team sprint, Women’s team pursuit.

Wednesday, August 4: Men’s team pursuit.

Thursday, August 5: Men’s Omnium, Women’s Keirin.

Friday, August 6: Men’s sprint, Women’s Madison.

Saturday, August 7: Men’s Madison.

Sunday, August 8: Men’s Keirin, Women’s Omnium, Women’s sprint.

Tokyo 2020 cycling: Will GB dominate on the track again?

Great Britain have dominated the track cycling events at recent Olympics. At Rio 2016, they won 11 medals including six golds across the 10 events and will be presumably aiming for a similar return this time round.

In particular, married couple Jason and Laura Kenny will be aiming to add to the 10 gold medals they have won between them. Jason is 6.010* to defend his title in the Men’s Keirin event, while Team GB are 4.680* second-favourites to top the podium in the Men’s team sprint event. Meanwhile, Laura will be part of the British team who are 2.090* to take gold in the Women’s team pursuit.

Other British track cycling medal hopes include Matthew Walls (6.100*) in the Men’s Omnium and Jack Carlin (8.390*) in the Men’s Keirin.

Tokyo 2020 cycling: BMX favourites

The betting market suggests that the Men’s BMX race will be one of the most closely contested cycling events at Tokyo 2020, with the American Connor Fields (4.810*) narrowly priced as favourite ahead of France’s Joris Daudet (5.240*) and the Netherlands’ Niek Kimmann (6.090*). Fields enters the event as the defending champion from Rio 2016, although Jaudet can boast more recent accolades, having picked up a bronze and silver respectively at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships.

Australia’s Logan Martin (1.952*) is the favourite for the Men’s BMX freestyle event, having won gold medals at the Pannnonian, X Games, and Urban Cycling World Championships since 2019. Japan’s Rimu Nakamura (3.520*) closely trails him in the odds and possesses a strong chance of earning a home-soil gold.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the US’ Hannah Roberts (1.313*) is the overwhelming favourite for the Women’s BMX freestyle event. Despite being aged just 19, she has quickly asserted herself as a world leader in this event, racking up three golds at the Urban Cycling World Championships as well as gold at the 2019 Pan American Games. Switzerland’s Nikita Ducarroz (5.040*), who finished second behind Roberts at this year’s Urban Cycling World Championships, looks set to be her closest rival for gold.

Tokyo 2020 cycling: Other cyclists to look out for

Among the athletes who will be hoping to reduce Britain’s track cycling medal haul are Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang, known as ‘The Pocket Rocketman’. The 33-year-old took bronze in the Men’s Keirin at Rio 2016 and is 8.140* to upgrade his medal to gold in Tokyo, while he is also available at 8.610* to win the Men’s sprint after winning the event three times in four years at the Asian Championships.

The US will be hoping that Chloe Dygert can lead them to the gold medal in the Women’s team pursuit. The Americans won the event at the 2020 Track Cycling World Championships while Dygert was also victorious in the individual pursuit and the US are narrow favourites at 1.714* to top the podium in Tokyo.

The Netherlands have been making palpable strides with improving their cycling team in recent years and they will be justified to feel confident about Harrie Lavreysen’s chances in the Men’s sprint. Lavreysen currently leads the betting market as the 1.636* favourite and he will be keen to add Olympic gold to a recent impressive medal haul that includes back-to-back wins in the event at the World Championships plus a silver at the European Games.

Get great odds and bet on numerous Olympics markets with Pinnacle.