A survey was made of national- and international-calibre men and women track cyclists who rode in three separate world-class competitions on the Argyll Velodrome, Edmonton, Canada. Race profiles were obtained from 222 riders who competed in the pursuit and 1000 m time trial (kilo) events. Mean lap times (MLT) and optimal race profiles (ORP) were constructed, and served as the bases of comparison between top- and bottom-ranked riders. The survey showed that riders whose race profile failed to approximate the ORP always lost to riders whose race profile did so. The most likely cause of poor race performances is the inefficient use of the cyclists' anaerobic energy resources.