Track Cycling Terminology

UCI Competition Structure (Match Sprint)

The Match Sprint competition has a specific hierarchical structure. UCI terminology differs from the entity names used in the EMS — the mapping is documented here.

Round

A stage of the competition. Examples: Qualifying, 1/16 Finals, 1/8 Finals, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Finals.

Each Round may contain multiple Heats (matchups between specific riders).

Heat

A matchup between specific riders within a Round. For example, in the Quarter Finals there are 4 Heats:

Heat 1: Seed 1 vs Seed 8
Heat 2: Seed 2 vs Seed 7
Heat 3: Seed 3 vs Seed 6
Heat 4: Seed 4 vs Seed 5

In best-of-three Rounds, each Heat consists of up to 3 Races.

Race (UCI)

An individual ride within a Heat. In best-of-three Rounds, the Heat consists of Race 1, Race 2, and (if needed) a deciding Race 3 (the Decider). The first rider to win two Races wins the Heat.

"Race" in UCI terminology refers to an individual ride within a Heat. This is distinct from the EMS entity Race, which represents the entire discipline for an EventCategory (e.g. "Elite Men Match Sprint"). See UCI to EMS Terminology Mapping below.

UCI to EMS Terminology Mapping

The EMS entity model uses different names for some of these concepts. The following table maps UCI terminology to EMS entities:

UCI Term EMS Entity Notes

UCI Term	EMS Entity	Notes
Round	Round (top-level)	A Round in the EMS with no parent represents a UCI Round (e.g. "Quarter Finals"). This Round is not directly instantiated for best-of-three stages — it exists as a logical grouping in the RoundType hierarchy.
Race (individual ride)	Round (child, with `seq`)	A UCI Race is implemented as a child Round in the EMS, with the `seq` field indicating the sequence within the stage. For example, Semi Final Race 1 is a Round with seq=1 under the Semi Finals parent.
Heat	StartGroupParticipant.seq	Within a Round (child), a single StartGroup contains all participants for that Race. The `seq` field on StartGroupParticipant distinguishes which Heat a rider belongs to. For example, in Quarter Finals Race 1, the StartGroup contains 8 riders; seq groups them into 4 Heats of 2.
— (entire discipline)	Race	The EMS `Race` entity represents the entire discipline for an EventCategory (e.g. "Elite Men Match Sprint"). All Rounds, from Qualifying through Finals, belong to this single Race.

Round

Round (top-level)

A Round in the EMS with no parent represents a UCI Round (e.g. "Quarter Finals"). This Round is not directly instantiated for best-of-three stages — it exists as a logical grouping in the RoundType hierarchy.

Race (individual ride)

Round (child, with seq)

A UCI Race is implemented as a child Round in the EMS, with the seq field indicating the sequence within the stage. For example, Semi Final Race 1 is a Round with seq=1 under the Semi Finals parent.

Heat

StartGroupParticipant.seq

Within a Round (child), a single StartGroup contains all participants for that Race. The seq field on StartGroupParticipant distinguishes which Heat a rider belongs to. For example, in Quarter Finals Race 1, the StartGroup contains 8 riders; seq groups them into 4 Heats of 2.

— (entire discipline)

Race

The EMS Race entity represents the entire discipline for an EventCategory (e.g. "Elite Men Match Sprint"). All Rounds, from Qualifying through Finals, belong to this single Race.

Example: Match Sprint (4–7 Riders — Straight to Semi Finals)

For a Match Sprint with 4–7 entries, the bracket goes Qualifying → Semi Finals → Finals. The EMS Round structure under a single Race entity:

Round	seq	Parent	UCI Equivalent
Qualifying	1	—	Qualifying Round
Semi Final — Race 1	1	Semi Finals	Semi Final Heat — Race 1
Semi Final — Race 2	2	Semi Finals	Semi Final Heat — Race 2
Semi Final — Race 3 (Decider)	3	Semi Finals	Semi Final Heat — Race 3
Final — Race 1	4	Finals	Final Heat — Race 1
Final — Race 2	5	Finals	Final Heat — Race 2
Final — Race 3 (Decider)	6	Finals	Final Heat — Race 3

Round

seq

Parent

UCI Equivalent

Qualifying

—

Qualifying Round

Semi Final — Race 1

Semi Finals

Semi Final Heat — Race 1

Semi Final — Race 2

Semi Finals

Semi Final Heat — Race 2

Semi Final — Race 3 (Decider)

Semi Finals

Semi Final Heat — Race 3

Final — Race 1

Finals

Final Heat — Race 1

Final — Race 2

Finals

Final Heat — Race 2

Final — Race 3 (Decider)

Finals

Final Heat — Race 3

Each of these Rounds has a StartGroup (linked to the Race, the Round, and a ProgramEntry). The StartGroup holds all riders for that Race (UCI sense) via StartGroupParticipant records, with StartGroupParticipant.seq distinguishing the Heats within the StartGroup.

Match Sprint Formats

2-Up

The standard Heat configuration where two riders race against each other. This is the normal format at UCI and most national-level competitions. The two riders start together and race over 2–3 laps, with the result determined by finishing order.

3-Up

A Heat configuration where three riders race together instead of the usual two. This format is used when there are too few riders to fill a normal bracket — for example, when an odd number of riders makes it impractical to run all Heats as 2-up. In a 3-up Heat, finishing positions determine advancement: typically first place advances and third place is eliminated, with the second-place rider’s progression depending on the Round structure.

Straight Final

A format where riders progress directly to a Final Round without intermediate Quarter Final or Semi Final Rounds. This is typically used when the number of entries is small enough that a full bracket would be unnecessary. In a Straight Final, seeded riders (based on qualifying times) proceed directly to a Final Round that is contested as best-of-three Races.

Sudden Death

A Round where the result of each Heat is determined by a single Race rather than the usual best-of-three format. Sudden Death is used to expedite progression through early Rounds, particularly when the field is large or time is limited. Only one Race takes place per Heat — the winner advances and the loser is eliminated (or relegated to a minor final/repêchage).

Best of Three

The standard format for Quarter Final, Semi Final, and Final Rounds. Each Heat consists of up to three Races, and the first rider to win two Races wins the Heat. If a rider wins Race 1 and Race 2, Race 3 (the Decider) is not held. Between Races, the starting positions (inside/outside, leading/following) may alternate or be determined by draw, depending on the competition rules.