The Lexus Velodrome, the big white dome at I-75 and Mack Avenue in Detroit, will host American Track Cycling’s USACycling’s Madison National Championships on Friday and Saturday. This is the second year that the Lexus Velodrome has been the host venue of the title races.
Over two days of racing, four championship titles will be decided — Elites, Juniors, Masters, and Women. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m. each evening — Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.
Among the highlights of the weekend will be the racing team of 14-year-olds Cameron Coleman of Detroit and Kash Adamski of Bloomfield Hills.
Two of the best junior racers in the country, Coleman won his Stars & Stripes jersey last summer, just ahead of Adamski who picked up a bronze at USAC’s summer elite junior nationals. Also racing from Detroit will be the fastest 16-year-old in the nation — Donnell Anderson; Brendan Leary, a member of the National Champion Team Pursuit squad, and others.
The local cyclists will face the nation’s best bike racers for the championship show downs. The athletes pair as teams to race in the fast Madison, a two-person, relay-style race that requires technical skill, endurance, and extreme bike handling.
Cyclists exceed speeds of 40 mph on bikes without brakes, racing on a 166M/1/10th-mile oval that is banked 50 degrees in the turns and 15 in the straights. They exchange places all through the race, gripping the handlebar with one hand while “throwing” their partner into the race with the other.
Fans can enjoy close calls, near misses, and photo finishes. Seating is available within feet of the race action, as well as 360 views. In addition, attendees and can access an array of beverages the SpokeEasy lounge.
Tickets for the championships are $20 and are available at lexusvelodrome.com/tickets.
The Lexus Velodrome is owned and operated by the non-profit Detroit Fitness Foundation. American Track Cycling is the cycling promotion division of the organization.
For more information, visit AmericanTrackCycling.com, LexusVelodrome.com, or call 313-265-6725.
