The Valley Preferred Cycling Center, formerly the Lehigh Valley Velodrome, will wrap up its season with the Madison Cup competition Friday night.
This will be the 31st annual Madison, which i
s a competition involving two-man teams taking turns in the lengthy race and literally hurling each other forward as they pass off the racing responsibility. The name for that type of race is taken from New York’s Madison Square Garden, where indoor bicycle track races were held during the sport’s hey-day in the 1920s.
This year’s Madison is drawing more than 15 teams to the Trexlertown velodrome.
According to Cyclingnews.com, the Australian duo of world champion Jeff Hopkins and partner Pete “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick will take to the track again this year against contenders such as Argentina’s team of Gustavo Artacho and Alejandro Acton, Canada’s Ryan McKenzie, Italy’s Angelo Ciccone and Fabio Masotti, and Martin Gilbert, Trinidad Olympian Emile Abraham and partner Scott Swizanski.
Toyota United’s Bobby Lea and partner Colby Pearce and Jackie Simes and two-time Madison Cup winner Ryan Oelkers are among those who will represent the US.
Allow about an hour and a half for the trek north on Route 222 to Trexlertown from Lancaster.
The next, and last event of the velodrome season is the fall swap meet on Saturday, Oct. 13.
