What to expect from the Madison and Omnium Championships
Wed 2 Oct 2019
On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October Derby Arena will be hosting the National Men's and Women's Madison Championships, and the National Men's and Women's Omnium Championships.
On Saturday you can look forward to our Grand Prix open track cycling competition in which you will see cyclists in a range of events, scratch, points, elimination and finally a 10 mile GP final. Sprint fans can look forward to an exciting Keiren event and to finish the day the National Madison.
What is the Madison?
The Madison race is named after Madison Square Garden in New York, one of the birthplaces of track racing. The Madison is a relay event for teams of two riders, who take turns racing over a set distance, slinging each other into the race. There are points available for intermediate sprints and lap gains and stamina, speed, technique and tactical awareness are paramount.
Arrive at 12pm for the Grand Prix and Keirin events and expect a full and exciting day of racing that culminates in the thrilling National Madison Championships beginning at 6pm.
On Sunday come along for a full day of racing at the National Men's and Women's Omnium Championships, from 11am to 8pm or later.
What happens at the Omnium?
The omnium consists of 4 races; Scratch, Tempo, Elimination and a Points Race.
Scratch race: The first race of the day is the simple sounding 'first across the line' race where all cyclists start together and race to be the first to cross the finish line.
Tempo race: The second race starts to get slightly more complicated. In this race riders accumulate points by winning sprints or taking laps. After the first five laps intermediate sprints occur every lap with one point awarded to the first rider. Riders will also gain points for lapping the main bunch of riders.
Elimination race: Things take a serious turn in the third race, as every two laps the last rider to cross the finish line is eliminated until just one rider is left.
Points race: Riders start this final race with the points they have accumulated over the last three races. Their total points then increase or decrease depending on their performance in this race which decides the final position.
Tickets are just £15 for each event, buy your tickets now for Saturday and Sunday!
