Madison Genesis produced a resurgent ride in Wembley, with second for Connor Swift, every rider in the top-ten and the team victory on the night to take the title fight to the wire.
After losing the leader’s jerseys in Stevenage and starting the night with a three-point deficit, the team rallied with a standout performance, to take them within a single point of the series lead.
Two Fast @MadisonGenesis pic.twitter.com/KtgC3wtFrM
— British Cycle Sport (@VeloUK) May 29, 2018
Racing began on a shortened course in Wembley due to inclement conditions and sensing the danger, Madison Genesis took to the front.
Forcing the pace, the peloton split under the strain of the drenched technical circuit.
As the race neared the halfway point, crashes and high speeds resulted in a splinter group moving off the front containing 15 riders and all of the Madison Genesis squad.
Swift made his first move with Tom Pidcock (Team Wiggins), and for a time Tobyn Horton and Johnny McEvoy were also in mini-breaks.
But the group came back together and with 10-minutes remaining it looked set for a sprint from a select group.
Swift had other ideas though, and he escaped again with Pidcock as the race entered the final five laps.
In the finishing sprint, Swift finished a close second – his fourth of the 2018 campaign. Behind it was mission accomplished as Horton, McEvoy, van der Ploeg and Handley were well placed to mop up a string of top-10 positions.
That ride turned the momentum in the favour of the 2015 champions, as the series travels to Salisbury on Thursday May 31 for what will be a title-deciding finale.
Result - 2018 Tour Series round seven, Wembley
| 1. Tom Pidcock | Team Wiggins |
| ----- | |
| 2. Connor Swift | Madison Genesis |
| 4. Tobyn Horton | Madison Genesis |
| 6. Johnny McEvoy | Madison Genesis |
| 7. Neil van der Ploeg | Madison Genesis |
| 9. Rich Handley | Madison Genesis |
2018 Tour Series standings after seven rounds
| 1. Canyon Eisberg | 80 |
| 2. Madison Genesis | 79 |
| 3. JLT Condor | 74 |
Erick Rowsell: Never giving up