What is the Madison, and how do the hand-slings work?
I · Intermediate · The bunch races · 5 of 6It is a points race for teams of two. Only one rider of each team is racing at any moment. The other circles slowly higher up the track and is brought into the race by a touch, usually a hand-sling that throws them forward. Points come from sprints and from laps gained.
How it works
- The event: "teams of 2 riders", with placings decided by points from sprints and from taking laps.
- The change: "Riders of a same team may relay one another at will by a touch of the hand or the shorts."
- When the change is complete: as soon as the two riders are no longer in contact.
- Sprint points: 5, 3, 2 and 1 to the first four teams. The final sprint counts double.
- Laps: plus 20 for a lap gained on the main bunch, minus 20 for a lap lost.
- A change on the line: should not happen during a sprint. If it does, the front wheel of the second rider counts.
- Numbers: both riders carry the same number in different colours.
- The start: one rider from each team starts after a neutralised lap. The partners wait at the opposite rail, motionless.
- A mishap: the team-mate takes over at once. There is no neutralisation.
- Dropped riders: a rider behind the bunch may not help chasers gain a lap, or the team is disqualified.
- Lapped teams: may be removed by the commissaires.
- A tie on points: the places in the final sprint decide.
The glossary has the Madison, the points race, gaining and losing a lap, the bell and the sprint.
Tricky cases
Do both riders of a team race at once?
No. One is in the race and the other is resting on the track until the next change.
Is there a fixed number of laps between changes?
No. Team-mates may relay one another at will.
A rider crashes. Does the team get laps back while they recover?
No. The partner takes the team's place in the race immediately, and there is no neutralisation.
A team changes exactly on the finish line in a sprint. Which rider's wheel is judged?
The second rider's front wheel, meaning the rider coming into the race.
Why the rule exists
With a partner to share the work, the race can be ridden at a speed no single rider could hold, and the changes become a skill of their own. The event is named after Madison Square Garden in New York, where two-rider teams were first used to get round limits on how long one rider could race.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | Teams of two, changes at will | UCI 3.2.156; UCI 3.2.164 |
| Points race | The same scoring for single riders | UCI 3.2.118 |
| 250 metre track | At most 18 teams | UCI 3.1.009 |
| Distances | In a table that the text copy carries only in part, so not given | UCI 3.2.157 |
From the rule book
Union Cycliste Internationale, Cycling Regulations, Part 3: Track Races (amendments applying 1 January 2026), articles 3.1.009 and 3.2.156 to 3.2.172. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: UCI Cycling Regulations, Part 3 (PDF).