CENTRAL Victorian cycling fans will have a home-grown team to cheer on in the women’s madison in Bendigo next month.
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Tayla Evans and Lauretta Hanson - both members of the Bendigo-based Building Champions Squad road team - have paired up for the track race that is being held as part of the Bendigo International Madison carnival.
The 19-year-olds are looking forward to working together, after riding with different partners in last year’s inaugural women’s event.
Evans grew up in Bendigo with family links to cycling: her grand- father Terry and great-uncle Richard were track and road riders in the city.
While she played elite soccer throughout her teens, Evans recently decided to concentrate on the bike.
“The madison is a big focus for me, as I have watched it since I was little. It is one of the hardest races to do... but one of my favourites,” she said.
“It is really technical, and you have to think about positioning and where you are with so many girls going everywhere. I enjoy having a team-mate to work with as well.”
Hanson, from Macedon, is arguably in the best form of her career.
She represented Victoria at the national track titles last month and took out the Tour of East Gippsland - the first race of the Victorian Road Series - on February 15.
The talented rider has also earned a scholarship to a college in Tennessee and heads to the US in June.
The R.A.C.E. and TDT-sponsored women's madison is on March 8.