Cycling Ivan Lycas, Special Olympics Slovenia, during cycling competition at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. [Photo by Ray McManus, IRELAND OUT] Cycling is an exciting sporting event that tones muscles and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Special Olympics offers events from 500 meter time trials to 40K road races. Special Olympics athletes also can participate in Unified Sports® Cycling events. Special Olympics Unified Sports is a program that combines Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (partners) on sports teams for training and competition. In Unified Sports cycling, a tandem team consists of one Special Olympics athletes and one partner — the athlete or the partner may assume either the driver position (front) or the stoker position (rear) on the tandem. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender. Cycling Facts Cycling was inaugurated at the 1987 Special Olympics World Summer Games as a demonstration sport. At the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, 145 athletes from 27 countries competed in cycling. As of the 2005 Special Olympics Athlete Participation Report, 48,371 Special Olympics athletes compete in cycling. Cycling Events Time Trials: 500m Time Trial 1K Time Trial 5K Time Trial 10K Time Trial Road Races: 5K Road Race 10K Road Race 15K Road Race 25K Road Race 40K Road Race 500 Meter Unified Sports Tandem Time Trial Related Links Union Cycliste Internationale / International Cycling Union