38th Bendigo Madison - IM

Australia, March 7-9, 2008

Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Race

Race 3 - March 9: Bendigo Madison, 200 laps

New National Champions take dominate win

By Nathan Dole

Glen O'Shea (l) and Leigh Howard (VIS/Jayco)
Photo ©: Shane Goss

Australian Madison champions Glenn O'Shea and Leigh Howard dominated the Bendigo International Madison cycling classic. The young guns from the Jayco- VIS squad were in hot form throughout the 200-lap contest on the Tom Flood Sports Centre track. Just eight days after they teamed to win the Australian Madison in Melbourne, O'Shea, of Eaglehawk, and Howard, of Geelong, were relentless in their pursuit of victory in the McCaig Air conditioning- backed race.

The 18-year-old tyros blitzed the 32 intermediate sprints against a field that included stars from Argentina, Canada, Netherlands, USA and across Australia. At one stage the eventual Madison champions had won 10 of 20 sprints as they raced toward a final tally of 83 points. Runners-up were defending champions, Nic Sanderson and Miles Olman, on 53 points, as the Meyer brothers, Cameron and Travis, fought on to rack up 47 points. But it was to be O'Shea and Howard who etched their names on to the Bendigo International Madison honour board. They were in superb form in Australia's gold rush at last year's junior world titles in Mexico and have continued to star on tracks across the country.

For O'Shea, last night's victory was the realisation of a dream and goal he had pursued since he first raced on Bendigo's track when he was eight. "This is the pinnacle," O'Shea said. "It's an amazing feeling to have won this race, and to have raced so well with Leigh." Howard declared they had been looking forward to racing at Bendigo for many months. "Glenn has been so keyed up about racing well in the Madison and winning," said Howard.

"To win such a prestigious race is a huge honour." In a hectic start, the Meyer brothers instigated the first of many attacks in a bid to gain a lap. Try as they might, they and several other line-ups could not do so as the race rolled on. Howard and O'Shea won six sprints in the opening 70 laps and never let up. Even when not first in a sprint, the national champions were usually able to gain some points. O'Shea's brilliance was matched by his team-mate. At race end, O'Shea declared the effort of the opening 100 laps had taken its toll. "I was feeling a bit sick at 100 to go, so Leigh really helped me along.

"By 40 to go I was feeling fine again." Although they were well clear on points, O'Shea and Howard were wary of the attacks in the last 30 laps. There were many outstanding performances in the Madison, especially by Travis Meyer, who crashed in Saturday night's heat of the Golden Mile; as well as the Argentinean duo of Sebastian Donadio and Juan Gaspari; and Canada's Svein Tuft and Queensland's Hayden Josefski who were put together after Zach Bell's crash on Saturday night.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com

Joel Leonard leads the field into the home straight in a heat of the invitation keirin
There was plenty of food and drink on offer in the Gold and Opal Club beside the track at the Tom Flood Sports Arena
Todd Wilksch (l) and Jackson-Leigh Rathbone keep each other company in the final of the men's invitation keirin
The pace is on with a lap to go in the men's invitation keirin final
Joel Leonard takes out the men's invitation keirin final on the final day of the carnival
Glen O'Shea was looking ahead to big things in the Madison; Here he follows his Madison partner, Leigh Howard, in the final of the Golden Mile Wheelrace
Jay Callaghan takes out the final of the Golden Mile Wheelrace worth $3,000 to the winner
Jay Callaghan with his spoils from winning the 2008 Golden Mile Wheelrace
Glen O'Shea (l) is slung into action by teammate Leigh Howard; O'Shea and Howard were the hot favourites to win the 2008 McCaig Air Conditioning Bendigo Madison
Western Australian Travis Meyer riding for Innes Motors goes on the attack looking for an early lap on the field
Sean Pontelandolfo (L) and Casey Munro riding for the BGA Architects team had the job in-front of them early into the Madison.
Geelong's Leigh Howard (VIS/Jayco) powers around the Tom Flood Sports Arena in the Madison
Argentinean pair Sebastian Donadio (l) and Juan Gaspari riding for the McCaig Air Conditioning team swap turns in the Madison
Glen O'Shea (l) and Leigh Howard (VIS/Jayco) team up on the way to victory in the Madison
Sean Finning slings 3BO FM/SASI partner James Langedyk into the fray during the Madison
Jayco/VIS teammates Leigh Howard (l) and Glen O'Shea working together towards victory in the 2008 McCaig Air Conditioning Bendigo Madison
Nic Sanderson (r) throws his Drapac Porsche teammate Mile Olman into the action and a place on the podium
Brad Edmunds (r) throws his Brunetti Higgs teammate David Pell into the action during the Madison
Sean Finning grimaces as he slings 3BO FM/SASI teammate James Langedyk in during the 200 lap Madison
Travis Meyer is only too happy to throw brother and Innes Motors teammate Cameron into the thick of it during the Madison
Svein Tuft gets ready to change with Tweed Southerland First National teammate Hayden Josefski
Juan Gaspari throws his McCaig Air Conditioning partner Sebastian Donadio in on the home straight at the Tom Flood Sports Arena
Local horse-racing caller and cycling enthusiast Rick Macintosh introduces the Madison Champions Leigh Howard and Glen O’Shea to the crowd after their win.
2008 McCaig Air Conditioning Bendigo Madison Champions Leigh Howard (l) and Glen O'Shea of the Jayco/VIS team

Results

1 Glenn O'Shea (BGO) / Leigh Howard (Victorian Institute of Sport)          83 pts
2 Miles Olman (Q) / Nic Sanderson                                           53
3 Cameron Meyer (WA) / Travis Meyer (WA) Baldwin Filters                    47