ON TRACK: Madison Leske warms up for the carnival. Picture: JODIE DONNELLAN
THE aptly-named Madison Leske is gearing up for the highlight of her track season at this weekend’s Bendigo International Madison carnival.
Leske, 18, will contest scratch races and two or three wheelraces across the two-day carnival at the Tom Flood Sports Centre.
A year ago she won the women’s 1000m wheelrace at Bendigo’s biggest cycling meet.
“It was definitely a career high,” Leske said just a few hours before last night’s club racing.
“Any win is great, but a win at the madison carnival was an incredible feeling. I want to figure in a few more sprint finishes this weekend.”
After battling for form throughout the early months of this season, the keen teenager said her form had improved dramatically in the past month.
“Training is a lot more structured than it was at the start of the track season.
“Dad (Justin) wrote up a training program for me and it’s made a big difference to my racing.”
Workouts at the track or on the road are six days a week.
“The past 18 months I was doing VCE, so I trained when I could.”
“The support from dad and mum, Justin and Tahnee, and their partners, Amanda and Aaron means a lot to me,” she said.
Madison Leske first started racing when she was 12.
“Dad (Justin) was racing, and my older brother Micah (now 21) had decided to race, so I thought I would have a go, too.”
Family links have played a big part in cycling for many years.
Madison’s younger brother Corbin, now 15, also had a go at the sport for a while.
Away from the track, Madison will start nursing studies at Warrnambool’s Deakin University next month.