Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Could someone please explain what the Madison is all about.

Great Britain just won a medal in it -- but I have no idea how.

posted by Stuart at 18:34

3 Comments:

Blogger Alistair Bruce said...

I found this:

The Madison is a mass-start event comprising teams of two riders per team. It is similar to a team points race, as points are awarded to the top finishers at the intermediate sprints and for the finishing sprint. Only one of the two team riders is on the track at any one time, riding for a number of laps, and then exchanging with his partner, who is propelled onto the track by a hand sling from the cyclist leaving the track.

from:

http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=CT

8:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The madison is 'tag-team' points-race cycling. It gets its name from the races that used to be held at Madison Square Garden.

(Hard to imagine, but the Garden was originally a velodrome.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden

7:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Madison -- named for Madison Square Garden, where it originated -- is a two-man event where teammates relay one another into contention. It's also a points race in that riders sprint for points every five to six laps. The event requires riders to switch off during the race by means of an exchange. That means riders are required to draw even with their partner in order to replace them in a race.


The Olympic sprint is a variation of the team pursuit but requires only three riders. The race consists of three laps by two teams of three riders, each of whom must lead for one lap. After leading for a lap, a rider will drop behind his teammates and pull off the track. The third rider finishes the race alone.

10:21 PM  

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