Another event made it's Olympic debut today in the form of the BMX cycling and what an enthralling event it turned out to be.

Racing on a multi surface track riders have to compete against obstacles such as steep corners and ramps as fast as they can. The opening rounds are against the clock and competitors have two attempts to record their fastest time. Those with quick enough times qualify for the semi-finals where they are put into groups of eight, with the top four going through to the final.

Great Britain's Shanaze Reade encapsulated the entertainment and drama of the event in her opening round. In her first race she suffered a dramatic fall on the first corner and although escaped with minor injuries failed to register a suitable qualifying time. However in her second race Reade clocked a superb time of 36.882 seconds as she glided around the corners and sailed over the ramps. She finished behind only France's Anne-Caroline Chausson.

In the men's event Britain's Liam Phillips suffered a dislocated shoulder following a huge crash which sent no less than five riders sprawling across the track. Phillips did well to pick himself up and finish in 7th place but failed to qualify.

To find out about Shoulder Injuries - Prevention and Treatment click here.

The speed, danger and entertainment that the BMX event brings as well as the skill required to successfully compete in it should ensure it remains a permanent Olympic fixture.

Something that cyclists need to understand in order to ride both fast and safely is aerodynamic drag.

Although cyclists have to overcome the forces of gravity and the rolling resistance of tyres on roads/moving components on the bike, once your speed exceeds around 15mph, it’s aerodynamic drag that becomes your main enemy. Drag is a frictional force caused by the turbulence of displacing air that is pushed out of the way as you pass through it. Pedalling along at 20mph requires the displacement of no less than 1000lbs of air per minute1!

Aerodynamic drag increases as the square of velocity; if you double your speed, you will expend 4 times the energy to overcome drag. Expressed another way, for every increment of extra power you apply at the pedals, your increase in speed becomes progressively smaller. Eg, it requires 7.2 watts of power per mph to sustain 19mph on the flat; to sustain 30mph requires no less than 13.1 watts per mph!

Because energy-sapping aerodynamic drag is always present when cycling, learning how to minimise drag is vital for riding fast. Studies show that around one third of drag is caused by the bike, and two thirds by the rider, so reducing rider drag is the number one priority. And the best way to achieve this is to hone the riding position so that maximum power can be achieved with minimum drag.

Aerodynamics and riding position:

The optimum riding position will depend on the type of bike being ridden, but below are listed some of the best ways to reduce drag:

• Try and keep the torso as flat as possible, ensuring the knees don’t hit the stomach or rib cage at the top of the pedal movement;

• Use aerobars to keep the forearms around 15-20cms apart and kept roughly horizontal;

• Ensure the knees stay close to the bike frame and don’t splay outwards;

• Tuck down on drop handlebars and adopt a 3 & 6 o’clock position with the feet on the pedals during long descents.

However, while the most aerodynamic position is rarely going to be the most comfortable, you should ensure that you’re still comfy enough to produce near maximum power, because it’s power that you need to overcome drag

To find out  more about aerodynamic drag read the rest of this fascinating report in the Peak Performance Premium area.