![\"ccs-58780-0-20100200-1482238632.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-58780-0-20100200-1482238632.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Jennifer Abbot (pictured) and Danielle van Niekerk etched their names on the trophy of the inaugural women’s class at the SA National Madison Championships at the Bellville Velodrome on Saturday 17 December 2016. Photo credit: Owen Lloyd<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSome of our women riders had expressed an interest in the Madison event \u2013 a discipline of track cycling that has not been part of their programme in the past,\u201d said Cycling SA\u2019s Interim Track Commission Director, Martin van Wyk.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor that reason they had never had a need to train for it before. About a month and a half ago, we hosted a clinic to train riders who were interested in competing in the Madison event and of the 26 riders who participated, it was encouraging to see that eight were women.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Van Wyk, there is nothing quite like the experience of a Madison. \u201cYou get flung into the race at 50 kilometres per hour and race your heart out for a lap-and-a-half and then hand it over to your teammate,\u201d he said. The process then continues. \u201cThe women raced exceptionally well in their first ever event, and the racing went well without any incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were quite a few familiar faces that were not able to attend the championships due to previous commitments, but that did not deter the frenetic action which made for a good long weekend of racing. An interprovincial and some other track cycling races kept the riders busy throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n