By Martyn Herman
SAINT QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (Reuters) -Italy won the Olympic track cycling women’s Madison event on Friday, with Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini producing a stunning ride at the National Velodrome.
Britain’s world champions Elinor Barker and Neah Evans surged to the silver medal by winning the last sprint, while the Netherlands duo of Maike van der Duin and Lisa van Belle, who had looked on course for victory, bagged the bronze.
Italy, who surprisingly failed to win a medal in the women’s team pursuit in which they came fourth, ended with 37 points to Britain’s 31 with the Netherlands on 28.
The 120-lap relay-like event in which teammates take it in turns to race while the others rest, with changeovers made using hand-slings, always produces drama and this was no exception.
Huge roars erupted around the velodrome as France took one of the first sprints to earn points but the Dutch acceleration caught everyone out as they lapped the field, a move worth 20 points in itself.
Italy then made a lap late on with an audacious attack which effectively earned them gold and left the others scrapping out for the other medals.
Barker powered around the last two laps to earn Britain the 10 points for the final sprint to boost them to silver.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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