What is the madison track cycling event? Tokyo Olympics relay race rules and how to watch

ByDan Gibbs

Published 05/08/2021 at 12:37 GMT

The madison is among some of the best track cycling events taking place at the Tokyo Olympics and Team GB's Laura Kenny will be going for gold at the Izu velodrome. Husband Jason Kenny won't be entering the men's madison but will no doubt be cheering on his wife in the stands. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+

If you've been enjoying the relay events in the athletics and want something similar in the cycling then the madison is the event for you.

Laura Kenny will be flying the flag for Team GB in the women's madison event as it makes its return to the Olympic programme.

The madison was present at the Olympics between 2000 and 2008 but was removed from the Games in London in 2012 due to the fact that there was no women's race at the time.

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If you've just got your head around how the omnium works then it's time to turn your attention to the madison.

• When do the Olympics end? How long until the Paralympics start?
• Tokyo Olympics track cycling schedule: Full list of dates and events for upcoming races

How does the madison track cycling event work?

The madison is essentially a relay race where teams of two take it in turns to do laps of the track with the men's race lasting 50km and the women completing 30km.

The aim is to take more laps than your opponent with 20 points being awarded to those riders who do lap the main field and the same amount deducted for those who lose a lap.

Riders also have to battle for sprint points too with five, three, two and one point(s) being awarded each time the whistle is blown (every 10 laps) to indicate a sprint lap. Double points are awarded on the final lap.

While teams are competing in pairs, only one rider per team can be racing at a time while the other rests.

There is no baton to pass over like you'd see in a running race, instead the two riders have to make contact with one another.

The change is often a hand-sling but pushes are also permitted. Once the change has taken place, the rider who has been replaced must move higher up the track and out of the way of the racing riders.

Good changes are key to success in the madison

Image credit: Getty Images

Madison track cycling event schedule

Unlike the other cycling events taking place at the Izu velodrome, there are no heats or qualifiers for the madison - there is just a men and women's final.

This year's event will see 16 teams of two riders take part, meaning there will be 32 riders on the track at the same time.

Friday, August 6,

Women's madison final - 09:15 BST

Saturday, August 7

Men's madison final - 08:55 BST

How to watch madison track cycling at the Tokyo Olympics

There's set to be over 3,500 hours of action throughout the 17 days of competition and discovery+’s live event feeds are on hand to bring you all the action this summer.

To be able to watch every minute of the action, fans can subscribe to discovery+‘s Entertainment & Sport annual pass for just £29.99 or alternatively purchase a monthly subscription at a cost of £6.99 a month.

The pass will allow access to 55+ live event feeds, including Eurosport 1 and 2 as well as Eurosport pop-up channels 3-9.

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Watch every unmissable moment live from Tokyo 2020 across Eurosport, Eurosport app and discovery+. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.

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