Salzwedel calls for Madison to return to Olympic programme - Track Worlds News Shorts
Rio 2016 test event update, Ganna happy to emulate Moser in pursuit
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.
"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 omnium at this stage is a little early.”
Time running out for Rio 2016 Olympics track test event
UCI President Brian Cookson has admitted that staging a test event at the Rio de Janeiro velodrome ahead of the 2016 Olympics would be 'a challenge' after the construction of the venue was delayed by several weeks.
A planned test event had been scheduled for early spring but it has now been pushed back until the end of April. However with the timber needed for the track only arriving this week, and with the track needing several weeks to settle, there is no guarantee that a test event can be completed before the summer Olympics.
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"It's important that we have a test event in my view, for the riders, the team and those managing the event."
Bright future for Filippo Ganna after replicating Moser
Filippo Ganna won Italy's first world championship gold medal in the men's individual pursuit since Francesco Moser in 1976. The forty-year wait was ended with an incredible ride by Ganna, who at just 19, is already on the radar of Lampre-Merida.
"He is a rider that we've had our eye on for two years now," team manager Brent Copeland told Cyclingnews.