Track cycling is one of France’s chances in these Olympic Games.
After the omnium and Benjamin Thomas’ victory, a victory on the Madison? This particular race bears this name because its first edition was held at Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous venues in the world, in New York. The Madison is a race that takes place on a distance of 50 km (200 laps of a 250 m track) for men, and 30 km (120 laps of the track) for women. The aim is not to cross the line first, but to score as many points as possible.
Every ten laps, an intermediate sprint takes place. Taking a lap on the peloton earns 20 points while a team that loses a lap loses 20 points. For sprints, the points are doubled during the final sprint, enough to redistribute the cards at the last moment.
This race is done in pairs, with only one active on the velodrome while the other ‘recovers’ by riding at a moderate pace at the top of the track. To take turns, one rider grabs his teammate’s arm to propel him, which always gives amazing images.
For the French, the chance of a medal is for the duo Victoire Berteau and Clara Copponi who won bronze at the 2023 World Championships.