Salzwedel: Madison must return to Olympic Games
Great Britain cycling coach, Heiko Salzwedel, believes that the Madison should be reinstated into the Olympic programme for 2020, telling Cyclingnews: “to ignore the fundamental history of this sport is a disaster.”
Salzwedel was speaking at the end of the UCI Track World Championships in London after witnessing two of his prized athletes – Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins – win the Madison world title in dramatic fashion.
The Madison and individual pursuit were among the track events removed from the Olympic programme after the 2008 Games in Beijing, with the omnium created in their place, in order to make room for BMX events. The UCI are now considering the option of seeking additional track cycling events in the Olympic programme.
“Absolutely it should come back,” Salzwedel told Cyclingnews.
“For me it’s a shame that it has been kicked out of the Olympic programme. In the history of cycling it means so much. The birth of track cycling came from the Madison and just to ignore the fundamental history of this sport is a disaster. It must come back. It’s a great event.”
Salzwedel had of course just witnessed Cavendish and Wiggins roll back the years to collect their first Madison world title together since 2008. The pair rode a tactically astute race, picking up points in the early stages before hitting the opposition with a daring move to take a lap.
“That was our only choice,” explained Salzwedel.
“To stay out of trouble in the beginning and not put ourselves in the foreground. We wanted to keep in touch with the race but not put ourselves in front. We wanted to pick up a few points here and then, and then when everyone had killed themselves, make a big effort with a big attack.”
Cavendish finished sixth in the omnium event and the British coaches confirmed that they and the rider would sit down after Tirreno-Adriatico – his next race – and discuss his future on the track.
“He has proved that he’s a great athlete but this is a different athlete,” Salzwedel said. “He’s proved that he’s a world-class rider but to talk about ominum at this stage is a little early.”
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