Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cycling schedule: when to watch the racing

Schedule for every single cycling event at the Olympics

Men's Keirin at Rio 2016 Olympic Games
(Image credit: Getty Images)

They may be a year late, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are going to kick off very soon on July 23 before finishing on August 8, 2021.

Cycling takes place almost all the way through from start to finish with road cycling one of the opening events of the Games.

The day after the opening ceremony it's the men's road race on Saturday, July 24 where they take on a very tough course that skirts around the famous Mount Fuji with a finish at the Fuji International Speedway after 234km.

The women's road race is the day after with a 137km route that also only sees two relatively simple climbs, which brought a lot of opposition from some pros that wanted a harder and longer race.

Wednesday, July 28 is time trial day for the riders with both the men and women taking to the roads, again with the women facing a far shorter 22.1km route compared to the men's 44.2km.

After that, we have a full list of track cycling which goes on from Monday, August 2 all the way to the final day on Sunday, August 8.

BMX racing and freestyle races take place between Thursday, July 29 and Sunday, August 1.

The mountain biking is also one to watch with Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock joining the full-time MTBers to battle on Monday, July 26 with the women's race, including British hopeful Evie Richards, the day after on the Tuesday.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cycling schedule (Tokyo/UK times)

Road race events

Saturday, July 24, men's road race, 11.00am-6.15pm Japan/3am-10.15am UK, (234km) Route

Sunday, July 25, women's road race, 1.00pm - 5.35pm Japan/5am - 9.35am UK (137km) Route

Time trial events

Wednesday, July 28, men's and women's time trials, 11.30am - 5.20pm Japan/3.30am - 9.20am UK (44.2km and 22.1km) Route

Track events

Monday, August 2, 3.30pm - 6.30pm Japan/7.30am - 10.30am UK

Women's Team Sprint Qualifying

Women's Team Pursuit Qualifying

Women's Team Sprint First round

Men's Team Pursuit Qualifying

Women's Team Sprint Finals

Women's Team Sprint Victory Ceremony

Tuesday, August 3, 3.30pm - 6.10pm Japan/7.30am - 10.10am UK

Women's Team Pursuit First round

Men's Team Sprint Qualifying

Men's Team Pursuit First round

Men's Team Sprint First round

Women's Team Pursuit Finals

Men's Team Sprint Finals

Women's Team Pursuit Victory Ceremony

Men's Team Sprint Victory Ceremony

Wednesday, August 4, 3.30pm - 7.00pm Japan/7.30am - 11am UK

Men's Sprint Qualifying

Women's Keirin First round

Men's Sprint 1/32 Finals

Women's Keirin First round Repechages

Men's Sprint 1/32 Finals Repechages

Men's Team Pursuit Finals

Men's Sprint 1/16 Finals

Men's Team Pursuit Victory Ceremony

Men's Sprint 1/16 Finals Repechages

Thursday, August 5, 3.30pm - 6:50pm Japan/7.30am - 10.50am UK

Men's Omnium Scratch Race 1\4

Men's Sprint 1/8 Finals

Women's Keirin Second Round

Men's Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechages

Men's Omnium Tempo Race 2\4

Men's Sprint 1/4 Finals

Women's Keirin Third Round

Men's Omnium Elimination Race 3\4

Women's Keirin Final Places 7 to 12

Women's Keirin Finals

Men's Omnium Points Race 4\4

Men's Sprint Final Places 5 to 8

Women's Keirin Victory Ceremony

Men's Omnium Victory Ceremony

Friday, August 6, 3.30pm - 5.15pm Japan/7.30am - 9.15am UK

Women's Sprint Qualifying

Men's Sprint 1/2 Finals

Women's Sprint 1/32 Finals

Women's Sprint 1/32 Finals Repechages

Women's Madison Final

Men's Sprint Final Places 3-4 & 1-2

Women's Sprint 1/16 Finals

Women's Madison Victory Ceremony

Women's Sprint 1/16 Finals Repechages

Men's Sprint Victory Ceremony

Saturday, August 7, 3.30pm - 6.25pm Japan/7.30am - 10.25am UK

Women's Sprint 1/8 Finals

Men's Keirin First Round

Women's Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechages

Men's Keirin Repechages

Women's Sprint Quarterfinals

Men's Madison Final

Men's Madison Victory Ceremony

Sunday, August 8, 10am - 1.15pm Japan/2am - 5.15am UK

Women's Omnium Scratch Race 1/4

Women's Sprint Semifinals

Men's Keirin Quarterfinals

Women's Omnium Tempo Race 2/4

Women's Sprint Race for 5th-8th Places

Men's Keirin Semifinals

Women's Sprint Finals

Women's Omnium Elimination Race 3/4

Men's Keirin Final 7-12

Men's Keirin Final 1-6

Men's Keirin Victory Ceremony

Women's Omnium Points Race 4/4

Women's Sprint Victory Ceremony

Women's Omnium Victory Ceremony

BMX events

Thurs, July 29, BMX Racing Qualifiers, 10am - 12pm Japan/2am - 4am UK

Fri, July 30, BMX Racing Finals, 10am - 12.20pm Japan/2am - 4.20am UK

Sat, July 31, BMX Freestyle Qualifiers, 10.10am - 12.20pm Japan/2.10am - 4.20am UK

Sun, August 1, BMX Freestyle Finals, 10.10am - 12.45pm Japan/2.10am - 4.45am UK

MTB events

Mon, July 26, men's cross country, 3pm - 5pm Japan/7am - 9am UK

Tues, July 27, women's cross country, 3pm - 5pm Japan/7am - 9am UK

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Tim Bonville-Ginn

Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!


I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.


It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.


After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.


When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.


My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.