The 13 pairs competed in 6 heats of 2 cyclists (one of 3) in the heats. The winner of each heat advanced to the quarterfinals, with the defeated cyclists relegated to the repechage.
Three heats of two or three cyclists each were held, with the winner of each moving to the finals of the repechage while the other 4 cyclists were eliminated.
The quarterfinals saw the 8 remaining pairs paired off into four heats. The winner of each match, which was in a best-of-three format, advanced, the loser was eliminated.
The semifinals were also raced in a best-of-three format. The winner of each semifinal advanced to the gold medal match, while the loser was sent to the bronze medal match. Germany initially won their semifinals against Italy, but were disqualified in the third race for moving out of their lane in the final sprint.[1]