What are the rules to the cycling Madison race and why is it named that? Long-running event returns for Paris Olympics
The Madison cycling event has been a recent addition to the Olympic Games, and it will be back this summer.
The race has origins very much rooted in the United States.
Here, marvelbet369.com looks into the event and where the name comes from.
What is the Madison?
The Madison is a relay race in which each team looks to complete more laps than the other competitors.
Each team consists of two to three riders, but only one can be 'active' at any one time, with the other 'inactive', and they rotate throughout the event.
To complete the rotation, the riders must touch each other, but the active rider often grabs the inactive competitor's hand and flings them forward to gain momentum.
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However, the inactive rider stays on the track, but they just cycle around the outside slowly until called upon.
The Madison is a 50km race for the men and 30km for the women, and riders can be active for as long as they like.
This means teams often select quicker sprinters and longer endurance riders.
The winner is determined by the number of points accumulated rather than time.
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Points are earned during the sprints and by lapping other teams.
The sprints take place on every tenth lap, with five points going to the winners, second earns three, third gets two and fourth takes just a solitary point.
A bell will ring with one lap to go, and double points are on offer for that.
Teams who also lap other teams gain 20 points, while any side lapped by the entire field loses 20 points.
The race ends when the leading team completes the distance, points are then tallied up from there.
Where does the name come from?
The Madison is named after Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the race originated.
Madison Square Garden itself is named after former US President James Madison.
It was first created more than 125 years ago and was a direct response to the government banning cyclists from racing more than 12 hours a day.
Organisers of races realised that if their competitors had a partner to switch with, they could keep the stadium full.
From there, the Madison was born, although, it has been hugely refined for the modern day audience.
It was first introduced to the Olympic schedule in 2000 and ran until 2008.
In that time, it was only the men who competed, and because of this, it was removed until 2020 when it returned.
Tokyo marked a landmark moment for the Madison as women competed in the event for the first time, and it's back for 2024.
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The Madison is a brilliant watch, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in 2024.
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