Conor Leahy and Josh Duffy win the 2020 Bendigo International Madison
Conor Leahy and Josh Duffy upstaged their more fancied rivals to win Sunday night's Bendigo International Madison at the Tom Flood Sports Centre.
It was a particularly satisfying win for Leahy, who in the same race last year crashed over the fence and hit a spectator.
"Lots of memories here, not all of them good ones, so to get a win, in one of the most iconic madisons in the world. I'm so happy,'' a jubilant Leahy said.
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There were no such dramas this year as Leahy combined with Duffy to score their biggest Madison victory.
In a race full of attacks, West Australian Leahy and Tasmanian Duffy were one of two teams to lap the field.
A gallant late attempt from WA pair Stephen Hall and Michael Frieberg to gain a lap failed and the Madison came down to a points race between Leahy and Duffy and Jensen Plowright and Bill Simpson.
Josh Duffy and Conor Leahy win the 2020 Bendigo International Madison! pic.twitter.com/oZeHQFAeXL
— Bendigo Advertiser (@BgoAddy) March 8, 2020
It was Leahy and Duffy who had the better legs late in the race.
"Yeah it's pretty special, it was full on out there. I was struggling early on and kind of came good in the middle,'' Duffy said.
"It was nice to pull it off with Conor here. Awesome ride by Conor got me through the race."
Leahy and Duffy finished plus one lap and 42 points - eight clear of Plowright and Simpson.
"We've been training pretty hard down in Adelaide together,'' Leahy said.
"On the bunch bike doing lots of Madison work, so to see it come through today is really special. I am lost for words."
Jensen Plowright and Bill Simpson. Picture: NONI HYETT
Duffy said their pre-race plan had worked perfectly.
"We knew we were going to roll some sprints early,'' Duffy said.
"It was tough out there and we knew everyone was going to go flat out early on.
"(We wanted to) conserve a little bit and put down the move halfway through and hold on from there."
Michael Frieberg and Stephen Hall. Picture: NONI HYETT
Hall and Frieberg were third with a race-high 65 points but down one lap.
Madison prelude winners Blake Quick and Dylan Kennett were fourth on 63 points and one lap down.
Quick and Kennett dominated the early stages of Sunday night's race and were clear favourites to win.
However, the momentum of the race changed just after the halfway mark.
With the top-ranked teams too busy marking each other, Duffy and Leahy and Plowright and Simpson broke clear and gained a lap on the field.
Godfrey Slattery and Roy Pieters were fifth on one lap down and 58 points, with Rohan Wight and Josh Harrison sixth.
Bendigo teens Blake Agnoletto and Connor Sens rode impressively to finish ninth, one spot ahead of Isaac Buckell and Brendan Schultz.
Read more: Favourites blitz field in women's Madison
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