Not a space ship

The velodrome at the Olympics. One of the delights of watching the Olympics is the glimpses of sports that we would not normally encounter and about which we know almost nothing. Cycling, for instance and in particular the Madison, the rules of which seem impenetrable.
 
According to Prof Google the Madison is named after Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the race originated. Madison Square Garden itself is named after former US President James Madison. It was first created more than 125 years ago and was a direct response to the government banning cyclists in six day races from racing more than 12 hours a day. Perhaps this concern for the welfare of cyclists is also responsible for the format of the Madison. The cyclists race in pairs, but at any one time one of them is ‘resting’. Weird.