(Beilings, December 9)- Sunday’s Madison is the final mass-start event at round No.2 of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics in Beijing.

Madison takes its name from the Madison Square Garden sports and entertainment arena in New York City. In the 1920s and 1930s, track cycling was a popular spectator sport contested at the arena.

Teams of two will compete in the Beijing event. Qualifying heats are 20 kilometers. The final is 40 kilometers. The two qualifying heats are scheduled to begin at 14:05. The finals start at 17:50.

Among the teams likely to contend for gold are Joan IJaneras Rossello and Carlos Torrent Tarres of Spain. The pair was second at World Cup No.1 in Sydney, Australia.

On Friday Llaneras Rossello won the men's points race. He is the world champion in that event, and former Madison world champion. Previously Llaneras Rossello partnered with Isaac Galvez in the Madison. But Galvez died from injuries sustained in a crash at the six-day track race in Ghent, Belgium, in November 2006.

The Australian team of Mark Renshaw and Luke Roberts are also contenders.

The Dutch team of Peter Schep and Jens Mouris won the World Cup opener in Sydney, but are not competing in Beijing.

Switzerland's Franco Marvulli and Bruno Risi are the reigning world champions, but are not competing in Beijing.

Each team has one rider in the race at any given time. After covering one or two laps at top speed, that rider drops out of the race, giving way to his teammate. During the changeover, the rider coming off the track literally throws the second rider into the race using a hand-sling.