Madison (cycling)

The race

The Madison is a race in which the team which completes the most laps wins. Tied positions are split by points awarded for placings at a series of sprints at intervals during the race. Teams usually have two riders but occasionally three. Riders in each team take turns, with only one rider per team racing at any time. After resting, riders can return to the race. To take over, the replacement rider has to be touched, pushed, often on the shorts, or hurled by the departing team member by a hand-sling.

How long each rider stays in the race is for the rider's team to decide. Originally, riders took stints of several hours and the resting rider could sleep or have a meal. That was easier in earlier six-day races because hours could pass without riders attempting to break away from the others. As races became more intensive, both riders from a team began riding simultaneously, one going fast on the shortest racing line around the base of the track and the other idling higher up until that rider's turn to take over. Modern six-day races last less than 12 hours a day and the Madison is now only a featured part, so staying on the track throughout is more feasible.

The Madison is a feature of six-day races, but it can also be a separate race, as in the Olympic Games. It has its own championships and specialist riders. UCI-sanctioned Madison races have a total distance of 50 km.

History

The Madison began as a way of circumventing laws passed in New York in the US, aimed at restricting the exhaustion of cyclists taking part in six-day races.

According to a contemporary newspaper clipping retained by Major Taylor:

The condition included delusions and hallucinations. Riders wobbled and frequently fell. But the riders were often well paid, especially since more people came to watch them as their condition worsened. Promoters in New York paid Teddy Hale $5,000 when he won in 1896 and he won "like a ghost, his face as white as a corpse, his eyes no longer visible because they'd retreated into his skull," as one report had it.

The New York Times said in 1897:

Alarmed, New York and Illinois ruled in 1898 that no competitor could race for more than 12 hours a day. The promoter of the event at Madison Square Garden, reluctant to close his stadium for half the day, realized that giving each rider a partner with whom he could share the racing meant the race could still go on 24 hours a day but that no one rider would exceed the 12-hour limit. Speeds rose, distances grew, crowds increased, money poured in. Where Charlie Miller rode 2,088 mi alone, the Australian Alf Goullet and a decent partner could ride 2,790 mi.

The fastest known average speed of a Madison men's race is 59.921 km/h, achieved by the Australian duo of Sam Welsford and Leigh Howard, at the world cup race in Glasgow, United Kingdom, 9 November 2019.

Origins of the name Madison Racing

The term Madison Racing derives essentially from a sequence of local New York City names honoring President James Madison. A lodge had been built at what was then the prominent and northernmost waypoint into and out of New York City. In honor of the recently deceased president, the cottage was named Madison Cottage. After the demise of Madison cottage, the site gave rise to a park, in turn named Madison Square, which remains today.

A series of four sports venues subsequently took their names from Madison Square — each named, one after the other, *Madison Square Gardens. * The first two were located directly adjacent to (and took their name from) Madison Square. The second Madison Square Gardens (1890–1925) became a prominent cycling venue,{{cite web

The full rules

The official rules of the Madison, which are traditionally regarded as being hard to follow, are stated as follows by British Cycling, the British Governing Body of Cycling:

• Teams shall be of two or three riders wearing the same colours and number: in the Olympics and World Championships, participants compete in pairs.
• There must be one rider of each team in the race at all times.
• Riders may relieve each other at any time during the race.
• Changing shall take place below the stayers line, and as near to the inside edge of the track as practicable.
• Relieved riders must take up a position outside the stayers line as soon as it is safe and practicable.
• Changing shall be by one rider drawing level with the other and touching to denote relief.
• The touch may be a push or handsling.
• The winners of the race shall be the team which gains the most laps on the other teams.
• If two or more teams are on the same lap, the result shall be determined by the team which has won the most sprint points during the race.
• Should there be an equality of laps and points, the winners shall be the best placed team in the final sprint.
• The race shall end when the leading team has completed the distance.
• Lapped riders need not fulfil lost laps, and shall be placed as so many laps behind the winners.
• At pre-determined times during the race there will be sprints for points, with the first four teams over the line gaining 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively.
• A whistle shall be blown to indicate one lap to go before a sprint.
• A bell will be rung at the start of the last lap.
• Teams that rejoin the field after gaining or losing laps, shall be eligible for sprint points.
• Should one member of a team suffer a puncture or mishap, that rider will be allowed to rejoin the race. However, his/her partner should rejoin the race within two laps being covered by the field from the point at which the incident occurred. The Chief Commissaire will pair the rider in the race with another team which is at the same relative position in the race. The rider will ride 'in and out' with the nominated member of the other team until his/her partner rejoins the race.
• Any team retiring from the race shall inform the Chief Commissaire immediately.
• Teams may be disciplined by losing points, losing laps or disqualification for misconduct, unfair and/or dangerous riding.
• The Chief Commissaire may neutralise a race should it be considered necessary to do so (i.e. in the case of a crash involving several teams or the track becoming unsafe and/or impracticable for use).
• The Chief Commissaire may terminate a race before the full distance should it be considered essential to do so.
• The Chief Commissaire may withdraw teams who fall too many laps behind or who, in their opinion, may constitute a danger to other riders.

Olympics

The Madison was an Olympic event for men in 2000, 2004 and 2008, but was dropped ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, in part for reasons of gender equality as there was no equivalent race for women at that time.

In June 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that the Madison would be added to the Olympic programme for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The 2020 Games includes a relaunch of the men's Madison event, as well as the introduction of the women's Madison as an Olympic event for the first time. The inaugural women's event was won by Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny for Team GB.

Records

Points

;Men

;Women

Times

;Men

References

References

1. (1996). "Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer". Johns Hopkins Paperbacks.
2. (December 11, 1897). "A BRUTAL EXHIBITION.". The New York Times.
3. Jackson, Kenneth T. (ed.), ''The Encyclopedia of New York City'' (1995) ISBN 0-300-05536-6
4. "Technical Regulations For General, Road, Track & Roller Racing". British Cycling.
5. (26 September 2009). "UCI plans major shake-up of Olympic track programme". cyclingnews.
6. (9 June 2017). "Madison and BMX Freestyle Park added to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Programme". Union Cycliste Internationale.
7. (2021-08-06). "Tokyo 2020 Official Reports - Final Results - Women's Madison".
8. "Events".
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10. "Events".
11. "Men's junior madison results".
12. "Men's under-23 madison results".
13. (7 August 2021). "Cycling Track – Men's Madison – Results". [[Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
14. (2012-03-27). "World Cup Standings / Classement coupe du monde As of 24 JAN 2010".
15. "www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling".
16. "www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling".
17. "Track World Cup 2001".
18. "World Cup".
19. "940917 National Madison".
20. "Women Junior Madison results".
21. "Women's under-23 madison results".
22. (6 August 2021). "Cycling Track – Women's Madison – Results". [[Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
23. (2014-12-23). "Revolution Series - Rudy Project RT stay out in front of Elite Championship as Team Sky win Round 4".