Why do the olympic indoor cyclist jump to the outside and lose positions? Why not make everyone go around?

Question

Why do the olympic indoor cyclist jump to the outside and lose positions? Why not make everyone go around?

Answer 1

Sometimes you don't mind another cyclist going past you if you're confident you can beat him in a sprint. Track cyclists know the strong opponents who they have to fear and in races like the Keiren they do everything possible to prevent them passing. A cyclist like Chris Hoy who won the Keiren doesn't have to worry what anyone else does- he just has too much leg power for his opponents and he knows that if he's in front on the last lap no one is going to catch him anyway. The biggest danger is getting boxed in and that can't happen if you move to the outside.