The Olympic cycling field is made up of athletes selected by their countries for road, track, mountain bike, BMX racing, and BMX freestyle events. For the next Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028, the final rider list has not yet been decided.
The most recent Games were Paris 2024, where riders such as Remco Evenepoel, Kristen Faulkner, Tom Pidcock, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Harrie Lavreysen, and Saya Sakakibara won gold. This guide explains the cycling disciplines, highlights notable Paris champions, and shows why the names in a future Olympic field may differ from the sport’s biggest stars.
who is cycling in the olympics right now?
There is no single permanent lineup of Olympic cyclists. Each country selects or qualifies riders for a particular Games, and the athletes compete in separate events for their discipline. The names change from one Olympics to the next.
As of 2025, the latest Olympic cycling competition was at Paris 2024. The next Summer Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028, but its final cycling roster has not been selected. So if you are asking who is already confirmed for the next Games, the answer is no individual rider has a guaranteed place simply because of past results or fame.
Paris offered a useful snapshot of the sport’s range. Road racing featured long, open-road courses; track cycling took place on an indoor oval; and mountain biking and BMX tested riders on purpose-built courses. Each discipline has different events, skills, and qualification routes.
Five cycling disciplines you will see at the Olympics
Olympic cycling is not one event. It brings together five disciplines, and some include several medal events. This comparison shows what makes each one distinct and names a Paris 2024 champion as an example.
| Discipline | What riders do | Paris 2024 example | Best for watching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road | Race over paved roads in a mass-start event or against the clock in a time trial. | Remco Evenepoel won the men’s road race and time trial. | Long races, changing tactics, and dramatic finishes. |
| Track | Race on a steep-sided indoor oval in sprint, endurance, and team events. | Harrie Lavreysen won three men’s gold medals. | Close racing, fast laps, and head-to-head sprints. |
| Mountain bike | Ride multiple laps of a rough, hilly off-road course. | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the women’s cross-country race. | Technical descents, climbs, and frequent position changes. |
| BMX racing | Start together on a short track with jumps and turns. | Saya Sakakibara won the women’s race. | Explosive starts and races decided in seconds. |
| BMX freestyle | Perform judged tricks on ramps and other features. | Deng Yawen won the women’s event. | Big tricks, creative lines, and high-risk runs. |
Road cycling: races on public roads
Road cycling has two main Olympic formats. In the road race, riders start together and try to finish first after covering a set course. Riders can work as a team, even though the medal goes to an individual. Teammates may help a leader by setting the pace, chasing a rival, or saving the leader’s energy.
In a time trial, athletes race the course individually against the clock. Drafting behind another rider is not allowed, so a rider’s pacing and ability to sustain speed matter greatly. The road race and time trial reward different strengths; success in one does not make an athlete an automatic favorite in the other.
At Paris 2024, Belgian Remco Evenepoel won both the men’s road race and time trial. In the women’s road race, American Kristen Faulkner took gold, with Marianne Vos of the Netherlands second and Lotte Kopecky of Belgium third. Australia’s Grace Brown won the women’s time trial.
Track cycling: speed and tactics on an oval
Track events are held on a smooth indoor oval called a velodrome. The steeply banked track helps riders maintain speed through turns. Events range from short, tactical sprints to longer races that test endurance and teamwork.
The sprint is a head-to-head event in which riders use positioning and acceleration to beat an opponent. The keirin begins with riders following a motorized pace vehicle before sprinting for the finish. Endurance events include the omnium, a multi-race competition, and the Madison, a team event in which partners take turns racing and exchange with a hand-sling.
Paris standout Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands won the men’s individual sprint, keirin, and team sprint. American Jennifer Valente won the women’s omnium, while New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews won the women’s keirin. These results show why the track roster can include specialists who rarely compete in Olympic road events.
Mountain biking: fitness meets technical skill
The Olympic mountain-bike event is cross-country racing on a marked off-road course. Riders complete several laps over climbs, descents, rocks, roots, and other obstacles. A strong athlete needs aerobic fitness, balance, bike control, and the judgment to choose safe, fast lines.
British rider Tom Pidcock won the men’s cross-country race in Paris. France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the women’s event. Both races were fiercely contested, but the gold medals went to riders who could combine speed with control on demanding terrain.
BMX racing and BMX freestyle are different sports
BMX racing is a short race from a starting gate. Riders compete on a track with jumps, banked turns, and obstacles, and the first across the line wins. A good start can create an advantage, but riders must still manage traffic and hold their line through the course.
At Paris, Australia’s Saya Sakakibara won the women’s BMX racing event. France swept the men’s medals: Joris Daudet won gold, followed by Sylvain André and Romain Mahieu.
BMX freestyle is judged rather than decided by a finish-line result. Riders perform tricks on ramps and other course features, and judges assess the quality and execution of their runs. Argentina’s José Torres Gil won the men’s event in Paris, while China’s Deng Yawen won the women’s event. The format rewards both technical skill and the ability to complete a run cleanly.
Notable Olympic cycling champions from Paris 2024
These riders are among the most recognizable recent Olympic champions. They are examples of athletes who excelled at the latest Games, not a confirmed list for Los Angeles 2028.
- Remco Evenepoel, Belgium: Won the men’s road race and time trial, a rare double that demonstrated strength in both race formats.
- Kristen Faulkner, United States: Won the women’s road race after making her move late in the event.
- Grace Brown, Australia: Won the women’s time trial in her final professional season.
- Harrie Lavreysen, Netherlands: Won three men’s track gold medals: sprint, keirin, and team sprint.
- Jennifer Valente, United States: Won the women’s omnium and repeated her Olympic title from Tokyo.
- Tom Pidcock, Great Britain: Defended his men’s mountain-bike cross-country title.
- Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, France: Won the women’s mountain-bike cross-country race on home soil.
- Saya Sakakibara, Australia: Won the women’s BMX racing event.
- Deng Yawen, China: Won the women’s BMX freestyle event.
A rider’s event matters as much as the rider’s name. For instance, Evenepoel’s road-race win does not mean he is a track cyclist, and a BMX racer does not enter BMX freestyle by default. Olympic cycling contains separate competitions with different demands and entry places.
How Olympic cycling teams are chosen
Olympic places are allocated through qualification rules set for each Games. In general, countries earn places through results and rankings in the relevant discipline, then their national cycling organization chooses which eligible athletes will fill those places. The exact process varies by event and can change between Olympics.
This distinction explains a common misconception: a country qualifies a place, not necessarily a particular famous rider. A star may miss the Games if their country does not earn a place in that event, if another athlete is selected, or if the rider cannot compete. Conversely, a less familiar specialist may qualify and make the team because that discipline suits their ability.
Road and track spots are separate from mountain-bike and BMX places. A country with a strong road team does not automatically receive a large BMX team. Within a discipline, the number of places available to each nation is also limited, so national selection can be competitive even when a country has several top riders.
To learn who will actually ride at an upcoming Olympics, look for three separate announcements: the qualification places earned by each country, the national selection decisions, and the final event start lists. An athlete appearing in a ranking or being called a medal contender does not by itself confirm Olympic participation.
How to find the confirmed riders for Los Angeles 2028
The full 2028 roster is not available in 2025. Qualification and selection happen closer to the Games, so lists published years ahead should be treated as predictions unless they clearly identify a confirmed qualification or official selection.
- Start with the event. Decide whether you mean road, track, mountain bike, BMX racing, or BMX freestyle. A rider may compete in more than one event, but each entry has its own rules.
- Check qualification progress. Follow announcements about which countries have earned places. This tells you which national teams may be able to enter athletes, but it does not always identify the riders.
- Look for the national team announcement. The country’s cycling federation or Olympic committee names the selected athletes. This is the key step for confirming individuals.
- Confirm the final start list. Late changes can happen, so the event entry list close to competition is the clearest guide to who is expected to start.
For a quick way to follow contenders before selection, track recent world championships, major international races, and national trials. Those results can indicate form, but they are clues rather than guarantees. An athlete may peak at the wrong time, specialize in a different event, or be edged out during selection.
What to know before picking a rider to follow
Choose a discipline first, then find athletes whose strengths fit it. Road races reward endurance and race reading; track sprinting favors acceleration and tactical positioning; mountain biking combines fitness with bike handling; and BMX asks riders to manage high-speed starts, jumps, or judged tricks.
It also helps to distinguish an Olympic champion from a year-round favorite. Olympic events happen on a specific course, and course design can change which skills matter most. A steep mountain-bike route may favor a different rider than a flatter one, while road-race teams can shape the outcome through tactics.
For BMX freestyle, a crash or missed trick can affect a judged run, so a rider’s reputation alone does not settle the result. In track racing, athletes may appear to slow down or move high on the banking as part of a tactical contest; the fastest-looking rider at every moment is not necessarily leading the race strategically.
One practical tip: keep a short watchlist by discipline instead of searching for a single all-purpose Olympic cycling star. Include a few riders from different countries and event types. That makes it easier to follow qualification news and understand why an athlete’s past Olympic result may not predict their next event.
The answer to who is cycling in the olympics depends on the Games and the discipline. Paris 2024 champions such as Remco Evenepoel, Kristen Faulkner, Harrie Lavreysen, and Saya Sakakibara are notable names, but no Paris result guarantees a place in Los Angeles 2028.
For the most reliable roster, follow qualification updates and then check official national team announcements and final start lists. Start by choosing the cycling discipline you want to watch, then build your rider shortlist as selections are confirmed.