Cycling Track at the 1906 Intercalated Games

Cycling events at the 1906 Olympic Games were held in the Neo Phaliron Velodrme. This was the same site at which the 1896 Olympic cycling events were held. The velodrome was 333.33 metres in length but the cyclists had numerous complaints, because the curves had very minimal banks. In 1906 there were five track cycling events conducted.

The 1906 Olympic Games cycling events were dominated by the Italian cyclist Francesco Verri, who won three gold medals – in the match sprint, the one-lap time trial, and the 5,000-metre track race. Verri was not well-known prior to the Olympics but, later in 1906, in Genève, he became the world champion in the match sprint. Further details of his cycling career are not well-known. He never finished third or better in any other world championship event or Italian championship after 1906.

The top amateur cyclist in the world in 1906 was likely Britain’s Leon Meredith, who was world champion in 1904-05, 1907-09, 1911, and 1913 in the motor-paced event. Meredith also won seven British championships between 1902 and 1908. He was not in Athina with the British cyclists.