New Velodromes New Velodromes Today - the first public day at the Derby Arena Velodrome Derby Velodrome Opening Dateline: 28-Feb-2015 Today the Derby Velodrome website announced “That day has finally arrived! We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the unwrapping of Derby Arena will begin on 20 March with 30 days worth of an introductory programme. You will be able to come in for a tour, use our Cafe 42, cycle track will be open to members, club users and customers who have already purchased cycling gift vouchers. ... Opening weekend will take place on 28 and 29 March and it will be an amazing opportunity for everyone to come along, have a tour, take part in have-a-go sessions and demonstrations and get a good insight in to what Derby Arena has on offer.” Derby Velodrome - Close But Not Close Enough? Dateline: 7-Jan-2015 Today the Derby City Council had to admit that there is still no official opening date for the new ï¿½27.5 million Derby Arena with its 250m velodrome.

However the planned graduation ceremony for the University of Derby is apparently still going ahead next week in the track centre. Derby Council representatives maintain that the Arena will fully open early in 2015. More... More Outdoor Velodromes in Prospect? - Part 2 Dateline: 2-Apr-2014 Today came the confirmation from British Cycling that “Cyclists in the north east can expect to have a new outdoor velodrome available for use by spring 2015, after proposals were approved for a ï¿½1million project, funded by British Cycling in partnership with Middlesbrough Council”. They also stated that new facilities were either in progress or confirmed for Pendle ( Hope Technology? ), Derby ( Pride Park? ), York , Torbay , Hadleigh (Mountain Bike?) and Peckham (Herne Hill?). New Tracks Plans - 2014 Version Dateline: 7-Mar-2014 After years of false starts the prospects of an indoor velodrome for Ireland seem to be much improved - for now. While Cycling Ireland are still pushing for a velodrome as an annexe to the National Indoor Sports Arena at Abbotstown there is a second plan emerging.

Dundalk’s Cuchullain Cycling Club are proposing a 250 metre indoor track as part of the former JJB Sports Complex redevelopment by the local Institute of Technology. The press reports say that the Dundalk velodrome would add around €1.2 million to the cost of redeveloping the complex and could be ready as soon as September 2014. Those are very ambitious targets and bargain prices - but hopefully they reflect the savings possible by re-using existing buildings. Meanwhile in Canada work has been in progress on that country’s first indoor track for months. It is being built for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games due in 2015. Reports say that up to 20,000 spectators will be accommodated at the Milton, Toronto facility. The 250 metre timber, UCI compliant track could also be used for future world championships. But the efforts to build another indoor velodrome near Ottawa are still at the fund-raising stage. And even though volunteers have already raised more than $25,000 there is still a long way to go ... Team GB are clearly going to have a tougher time winning medals and jerseys once the other nations get better facilities.

More Outdoor Velodromes in Prospect? Dateline: 8-Feb-2014 Back in December York City Council published plans for the “erection of an outdoor velodrome with ancillary parking, lighting and landscaping” at the Sports Village on Lakeside Way in Heslington (YO10 5FG). According to the local newspaper - “The velodrome is likely to cost about ï¿½1 million and would be built next to the Sport Village’s closed cycle-racing circuit. The land was originally set to be an athletics base before the decision was made to upgrade the existing athletics track at the university’s Heslington West campus instead.” And subject to approval “the velodrome’s construction is expected to start in late February or early March [2014]”. Meanwhile in Cambridge there is a near identical plan reported in the Cambridge News for “an outdoor velodrome ... closed road circuit and a BMX track” at the Cambridge Sporting Village, Trumpington Meadows. However the latest plans (that did not have any cycling facilities originally) are viewed by some as an opportunistic attempt on the part of developers to get green belt land for housing with the sports facilities used as a trade-off.

If Cambridge Council agree with this view then the plans are likely to fail - as some similar ones did for Kingsteignton, Devon back in 2010. Interestingly both York and Cambridge have based their velodrome plans on the example set by the grass-roots initiative at Bournemouth . A model also copied for the new track approved for Clennon Valley, near Paignton back in May 2013. [But no completion date known for Paignton as yet] What we need now is someone to come up with a way of using these 250m outdoor tracks reliably in the British weather - without excessive costs or council objections ... Paris Velodrome To Be Ready By January 2014 ... Honest Dateline: 17-Nov-2013 Even though there has still been no announcement from the local council, the French Federation have gone public on a opening date of 13-Jan-2014 for their national stadium - see new website . However the UCI announced last week that the 3rd round of the Track World Cup has been awarded to ... the Guadalajara Pan American Velodrome in Mexico.

The booked World Cup dates of January 17 to 19 were too close to the sliding Paris schedule for it to be a safe choice. Update: The new Paris track held its first official meeting on 30-Jan-2014 - with the French national squad beating most of the GB riders attending. So now the French are getting really serious about the track again, aiming for great things at future Worlds and Olympics. DIY Indoor Track? Dateline: 23-Jun-2013 On Friday Cycling Weekly reported that a cycle components company was putting forward plans to build a private velodrome alongside its current factory in Lancashire. Hope Technology had announced its intention to build a ï¿½2.5 million velodrome on a site next to its manufacturing site at Barnoldswick. Hope’s co-owner, Ian Wetherill, was reported as saying "It's not a commercial venture, we wouldn't make any money on it - we are doing it because we love cycling." The report also makes the point that the proposed Barnoldswick Velodrome would be built to this small budget by being more of a rider test track rather than with paying spectators in mind.

So something like the former Wembley six-day track that was relocated to Calshot near Southampton. [Note for visitors - Barnoldswick is called Barlick by the locals.] Paris Slips Back Dateline: 18-Jun-2013 The new premiere French velodrome being built at Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Paris, is now forecast to open in December 2013 rather than this summer. This makes it doubtful that any major events could be booked for the 2013-14 winter season. The UCI has yet to assign the third round of its World Track Cup, due for 17 to 19 January 2014, but may not be able to afford risking it all on Paris. The wonderful UCI has already cut back the competition from four rounds to three - but missing out on another could be a killer blow. More UK Venues Planned Dateline: 18-Mar-2013 After the new indoor tracks in London and Glasgow and the approval of one for Derby, most fans must have felt that no more were likely for a very long time. But not so.

Back in February the Scotsman reported “City chiefs insist the concrete track – set to be laid at Jack Kane Sports Centre – would run year-round alongside a one-kilometre road loop at Hunters Hall Park, with scope to add a BMX circuit in future. The news has been hailed a “great boost” for Edinburgh cycling following concerns city athletes might eschew the ageing velodrome at Meadowbank in favour of the new state-of-the-art facility in Glasgow.” Originally this new track was assumed to be an outdoor track - but the latest artist’s impression at TrackCyclingNews shows an indoor venue that looks to be wood rather than concrete. More once when things get a bit clearer - but I cannot believe that an indoor track can be built on a budget of ï¿½1.2 million. The real danger here is that Edinburgh will go the way of Leicester - with Meadowbank being sold for redevelopment and nothing useful built to replace it; despite council promises. This even more likely considering Edinburgh Council’s poor handling of the Tour de France Grand Depart bid and its catastrophic tram project.

However the latest plans for Devon are definitely of the outdoor variety with the BBC reporting “The ï¿½1.6m complex, at Clennon Valley, near Paignton, would be the first of its kind in the South West. The project is being endorsed by British Cycling, which said it was "committed" to providing some of the funding for it. Torbay Council said it would "put Torbay on the map" of British cycling.” And since the club cyclists of Bournemouth can do it then Paignton should be able to copy. Paris On Track Dateline: 29-Oct-2012 Following on from the opening of the new velodrome at Roubaix the French Cycling Federation are busy building their new track and HQ in the new town of Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines on the outskirts of Paris. The 74 million euro project is aimed at outdoing the British Cycling track facilities at Manchester and better results at Olympic level. The expected opening date is sometime in summer 2013 and so it will probably figure in the 2013-14 international track calendar. Looks impressive!

More at the town’s website Glasgow Track Opens Today Dateline: 5-Oct-2012 The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will be officially opened today - after Sir Chris’s test ride on Tuesday . It already has a top-class programme planned including the Scottish Track Cycling Championships in October, the UCI Track World Cup 2nd Round in November and the final Revolution round in February. Hopefully more will be organised in the build-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Early ticket sales indicate that there are plenty of cycling fans in Scotland that have been waiting for an indoor cycling venue with international-standard racing. Knowsley Track Opens Fully Dateline: 22-Sep-2012 Knowsley’s new outdoor velodrome and BMX track will be opening on Thursday, 27 September for BMX use with the first public velodrome session available on Sunday, 30 September. According to the Knowsley Council website New Velodromes - Derby Day! Dateline: 12-Jul-2012 “Derby City Council's cabinet has backed plans to build a ï¿½28m velodrome and sports centre.

The decision to give the velodrome the go-ahead was made at a cabinet meeting of the Labour-run council on Wednesday evening [11-Jul-2012]. The development had been approved by the city's Conservative/Lib Dem coalition but it lost control at the local elections in May. Derbyshire-based builders Bowmer and Kirkland will work on the development.” BBC News Derby Update: Derby City Council - “Construction will start on Monday 26th November 2012 and the Arena is planned to open by November 2014.” New Velodromes - Progress Dateline: 25-Feb-2012 Back again with my irregular update on the status of Britain’s new competitive cycle tracks. And first off the ones that are finished. Now that London has successfully completed its first big test - the World Cup last weekend - we can tick that one off as ready to go. I won’t go on about what happens after the Olympics because few are looking that far ahead. Now January is not the best time to check out an outdoor track - but Bournemouth’s new 250m example looked ... excellent. Meanwhile at Derby ..

“The size and cost of Derby's multi-use sports centre plans for Pride Park have already risen by nearly ï¿½2 million over its original budget. The city council had planned to spend ï¿½20 million on the centre, with a velodrome at its core on the park and ride site. However, the authority said the plans had now expanded to include a health and well-being centre and community rooms. It means the footprint has increased by a third and the cost has gone up to ï¿½21.9 million. It is about to begin the process for appointing a contractor to begin work on site. The successful firm is expected to be chosen by April and work could then start on the arena in the summer to coincide with the Olympic games in London.” Derby Telegraph 14-Feb-2012 And Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games velodrome looks to be well on target even though I have yet to spot a target date for the first event. Let’s hope it is in use well ahead of the Games themselves - booked for 24 July to 3 August 2014.

Update: 28-Jun-2012 on Marketing Derby web site “Plans are moving forward for the development on the Derby Arena – a ï¿½22m multi-sports arena which will also be used for large conferences and a concert venue. Derby City Council have shortlisted potential builders and a decision is expected within the next two weeks on the Pride Park project.” [Two weeks = 12-Jul-2012. Ed] What’s Happening with the New Velodromes? Part 4 Dateline: 17-Oct-2011 Back in August it was announced that construction company Mace had been been awarded the contact to build a new arena in Derby. The main feature will be a 250m indoor velodrome - re-useable as a concert venue - as well as badminton courts and dance studios. The new arena will be built on the site of a council-owned park and ride and should be started in 2012. It looks like some existing Derby sports facilities will close - and seems, to me, to reduce the chances that Leicester velodrome will be going ahead.

But an indoor track is much more attractive than one outdoors for any potential UK promoters. So some real progress - even though Mace still did not have any details of the Derby contract on their web site when I checked today. But it still looks good and Derby could, perhaps, now become the venue for Britain’s first six day race since 1980 - given the problems with London in 2009 and the lack of interest at Manchester? Meanwhile on Merseyside, Knowsley’s Leisure and Culture Park (at Longview Drive, Huyton) was due to be opened at the end of September 2011. However there was still much to be done as at the last update, with the 400m outdoor velodrome and BMX track (in the track centre) not due to open until December 2011. The Merseyside cyclists must be a hardy lot to have the launch of an new outdoor track in Dec! Photos... What’s Happening with the New Velodromes? Part 3 Dateline: 1-Jul-2011 This week the new 250m track at Bournemouth was official opened - a real step forward in regional racing.

And so that means this part of the south coast has both indoor and outdoor tracks available - time to get more new blood into the sport from the grass roots. And further north construction work on Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is making excellent progress looking at the latest photos. About mid-way between the two there is more to support the promise that Derby will get it’s new velodrome - with this independent media release put out last April. However it is just a third-party report of an objective not a contract to build. But still as long as there is progress that’s good news. What’s Happening with the New Velodromes? Part 2 Dateline: 18-Jun-2011 Back in February I said that the plans for a Derby velodrome had gone missing. But no - now they are back - and making progress apparently. Having been caught out before by promises that never materialised I am now trying to find out if the progress is on a project to create a report about something that might happen OR on a project that already has the funding to actually build something? So far the only response is that it’s “quite far along”. And this photo illustrates why I am cautious.

It shows progress on the Leicester dirt-o-drome - sorry velodrome - as at last month. And this is as far as it goes! Somehow I don’t think it would get UCI approval; even for cyclo-cross. Having watched the best in the world compete at Saffron Lane - the track that this venue is supposed to replace - it really does make me despair. All those national and local politicians that make grand promises and the jobs-worths that spend all the budgets on pointless studies should be rounded up and forced to ride a Six Day race round here. An old-style 24-hour per day six day - with a “Devil” every hour. A devil where the last over the line is eliminated - in the mafia meaning of eliminated. [If that is not allowed under EU rules then perhaps their salaries could simply be paid into an Iraqi bank - for collection in person only]. “Those who are not conversant with cycle racing conditions in this country may well ask why there are so few English riders in the race. The reason is the complete absence of suitable banked tracks for our riders to develop.” - Bill Bailey, four times world sprint champion - writing in 1939.

Things are always changing - yet everything is still the same. from AOLnews 29-May-2011 - “Welcome to Yorkshire confirmed detailed talks have already taken place about a start to the 2016 Tour in Leeds city centre and a delegation has visited Paris. The proposal is for the world's greatest cycling stars to then weave their way to the Yorkshire Dales, head east to Scarborough and the coast, via York and the North York Moors, before dropping south to Hull and finally to Sheffield. The racing would be spread over two days, covering 180kms a day, with Leeds hosting a festival of music and entertainment in the city centre to welcome the teams and the Tour's entourage. Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said: "I can confirm that we are having advanced talks to host the Tour de France.” Making Tracks - Plans and Progress Dateline: 30-May-2011 I’ve been trying to keep a look-out for track developments for some time. Projects seem to appear but then disappear without any outcomes. Some seem to use up whatever funds were available on reports, consultants and advisors rather than improving existing facilities or making new ones.

As everyone should by now know Bournemouth has built the UK’s first 250m outdoor velodrome - largely through the efforts of dedicated - and unpaid - club cyclists pressing their case. It is a shining light that stands out from the others. Not only does it provide encouragement to others but shows them a way to get things done. A way to get something actually up-and-running and achieving the objective of getting people into active sport participation. Hopefully it will be a turning point and a guide to making best to use limited resources. In contrast, it makes nice headlines for Yorkshire Forward to make a multi-million pound bid to stage the start of the Tour de France - but Yorkshire has been without a hard track for nearly 50 years. For example - there was a story in “Cycling” that Leeds would get a new cycle track ... but that was published in 1963! When the “Grand Depart” bid fails will Yorkshire Forward use a little of its bid budget to fund some grass-roots / eco-tourism cycling projects or even something better than a grass track to use as a “velodrome”?

Your comments to Gary Verity please [ps I thought that the regional development agencies are due to close in 2012 - and then this may simply turn out to be a first class, expenses paid break in Paris] At least Knowsley have gone ahead with their plans for a new track at Huyton on Merseyside. And according to “Cycling” new tracks are possible at Derby and Middlesbrough; while British Cycling have apparently given priority to new tracks in Yorkshire and the South-West. However British Cycling’s new track at Beaumont Leys, Leicester (new in 2007 that is - see below) - is still in progress; even though the adjacent motorcycle speedway track is now in operation. However it looks like the speed of the velodrome progress is glacial - or even melting away. London Opens - but now what? Dateline: 25-Feb-2011 This week the UK media has been full of news about the completion of the first venue for next year’s games - the velodrome. With interviews of medal winners from last time and riders in Team GB strip circling the track it looked like the launch of the big build-up.

But with the work on other facilities still in progress, Manchester remaining the national centre and an apparent desire to “keep the track from getting worn” this may not be so. In fact the track could be in for a quiet time for the rest of 2011. So even though the road riders seem likely to get a test event in August 2011 - it could be early 2012 before the GB riders get a chance to learn about the new track’s characteristics. Lets just hope that “British Fairplay” does not create an artificial obstacle in the way that stops the venue’s benefits being realised as soon as possible. Because after the games there will be a lot of hard work needed to make the track into a permanent success. What’s Happening with the New Velodromes? Dateline: 14-Feb-2011 First the good news - as you may have already read at British Cycling - sunny Bournemouth looks “on track” to come from nowhere and have wheels in action on a new 250m velodrome by May 2011. See the Bournemouth Cycling Centre web site for news as it happens.

[Looks like I need to make a trip down to my old club soon]. Now the bad news - “A planned ï¿½27 million velodrome in Northern Ireland is one of five high-profile sports facility projects to have fallen victim to ï¿½50 million in government cuts affecting the province” [from road.cc ]. So forget any velodrome north or south of the border for this decade? At Leicester the speedway stadium is promised to be action by April (2011) and the club seem pretty convinced since they are selling 2011 season tickets - even though the fixtures are yet to be published. No clues spotted at the British Cycling website about the planned velodrome next door though. Similarly nothing about the Derby velodrome that was “definitely going ahead” just four months ago. In fact the forum entry on Veloriders about Derby now seems to have vanished - so perhaps it was just my imagination [I even tried searching for the exact quotation without success]. And recent claims that Nottingham’s former cycle track would be resurrected are just impossible dreams - IMHO. But at least our oldest track(?), Herne Hill, seems to be getting an extension to its long and illustrious career.

Elsewhere just getting accurate information is still a struggle - even for the pre-games events at London. Meetings, discussions and good intentions - no problems. But more reasons for digging out that old track jersey - none just yet. New Tracks Plans - or should that be - Promises? Dateline: 10-Oct-2010 Six months on and there is little tangible progress to report. However good intentions are still to the fore. Two weeks ago this was spotted on Veloriders - a new indoor velodrome for Derby “According to what was said at the County Club Forum, Derby is definitely going ahead, either at Pride Park or at a site in the centre of Derby that was an old supermarket. They have ring-fenced funding of ï¿½50m for the project and the building work should start in the next 18 months.” So that would mean work would start in Derby by April 2012 - and so join Manchester, Newport, Calshot, London and Glasgow as the 6th indoor venue by sometime around 2014? Let’s hope the plans do actually go ahead despite the economic gloom.

Also lets hope that events to the standard of the Manchester Revolution Series do find backers for London and Glasgow at least. Meanwhile down the road at Beaumont Leys in Leicester there is still no known progress on the velodrome. Disappointing given that we are now three years on from the announcement (below). However it’s good to see that First Buses are still running services to the Saffron Lane Velodrome even though it closed years ago. And in Downpatrick the only bit of recent news spotted about the velodrome there was - “With plans to redevelop the Downpatrick Leisure Centre imminent and potential plans to locate a National Velodrome in Downpatrick, an excellent opportunity exists to develop a state-of-the-art facility in this location. Such a sporting complex would not only serve as a major local resource but also be of national significance.” However this does come from glossy 71 page “Town Centre Masterplan” dated July 2010 from the Department for Social Development (who said there are too many civil servants?).

However it was the long list of their advising consultants - The Paul Hogarth Company, DTZ, CB Richard Ellis, JMP, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Cleaver Fulton Rankin and Team Tourism Consulting - that rang the alarm bells in my head. With all these psuedo-private sector money-pits taking part it would not come as a surprise if enough tax-payer funding to build the track had not already been spent on salaries, fees and, of course, expenses. Update 10-Dec-2010 - here is last available pic of the London Olympic track New Tracks Plans - 2010 Version Dateline: 19-Mar-2010 There seems to be grindingly slow progress on any plans that don’t have a high profile and fixed target date. So while work on the new velodrome for London (and to a lesser extent Glasgow) ploughs ahead, good news of progress at other venues is hard to find. New venues keep appearing - but they simply seem destined to join a growing list of “good intentions”.

Take this story from Plymouth published in May 2009 - “DEVON could soon be home to a state-of-the-art cycling centre after proposals to build a velodrome received financial backing. Both British Cycling and Devon County Council have pledged money to fund the construction of an outdoor velodrome in Kingsteignton. South West BC Regional Board and the Mid Devon Cycling Club have been campaigning for a velodrome to be built in the area. Andy Parker, Kingsteignton resident and chairman of the Mid Devon Cycling Club, said: "It would be wonderful to see a future Olympic cycling star emerging from the training received in our velodrome." Ken Robertson, South West regional secretary for British cycling, said: "This is obviously a very important development for the South West." John Smith, county councillor for Kingsteignton, said: "This terrific facility will really encourage both physical fitness and the greater use of the growing number of dedicated cycle routes that the County Council is developing across Devon.” This was followed in November 2009 by - “THE chairman of Devon's biggest cycling club has expressed his disappointment a bid for a velodrome in Kingsteignton has finally been scuppered.

Mid Devon Cycling Club's Andrew Parker said his club has been told by Devon County Council a sporting complex, which included a cycling facility, won't happen in South Devon. He said: "We are disappointed — but remain positive for the future." The velodrome was going to be included in a vision for a ï¿½20 million centre of sporting excellence on land to the west of Old Exeter Road, Broadway. But the early-stage proposal was frustrated by the downturn in the economy. It was dependant on landowners Sibelco getting planning permission to build more than 600 new houses nearby. The idea was that once the housing scheme gained planning permission, land nearby would be released for the sports facilities to be built.” So the cynical could suggest that the velodrome / sports facility was a carrot by the developers to get planning permission for 600 new homes. So not a national / regional strategy for sporting improvement - more a way of making big bucks on property development? Thankfully the story at Leicester has not followed the same path.

But again there were problems - the Saffron Lane Velodrome has been demolished (even though its ghost lives on in Google Earth at 52ï¿½36'51.76"N / 1ï¿½ 8'8.04"W) - at an apparent cost of ï¿½100,000. Again the land at Saffron Lane was to be used for housing. However the first plan for 400 homes was turned down, this was then reduced to 250 homes but later withdrawn. Now a scheme for 120 homes has been proposed (Jan 2010) - with no news on the final outcome as yet. However there was a story that the ex-velodrome land may have been offered for a nominal ï¿½1 in order to incorporate low-cost homes within the development. As for Leicester’s new track at Beaumont Leys - there is no direct news but just before Christmas the Leicester Mercury reported delays. “League speedway will not be returning to the city in the new year because a ï¿½4.5m stadium development has been hit by delays.

The reformed Leicester Lions had been set to ride back into action after 27 years in the wilderness in March after its application to join the British Premier League was accepted. But the project has been dealt a blow because delays to the building of a stadium, in Beaumont Leys, mean it will now not be ready in time. It is still hoped some form of speedway will run at the complex next year. Beaumont Sports Complex (BSC), the company set up to oversee the project, said it hoped to run up to eight exhibition races to prepare for Leicester Lions' return to the league in 2011. The Bennion Road complex will also incorporate a cycling velodrome and 12 five-a-side football pitches.” So Leicester’s story can be summarised as - demolish a world championship velodrome, give the land away and build another velodrome to a lower standard elsewhere. And since it was the council that let the old track decline let’s hope they do better with maintaining the new one.

Meanwhile in Northern Ireland the wheels are still turning - just about - with the news this month that - “NORTHERN Ireland's first velodrome is a step closer to being built in Downpatrick, it has been announced. Before being named "provisional preferred bidder" for the multi-million pound cycling facility, Down District Council had been competing against bids from Newry and Belfast. The council will now proceed to the next stage of the Elite Facilities Programme with its plans to build the velodrome, giving Ulster the first facility of its kind. It is hoped the velodrome, which will be owned and managed by Down District Council, will help attract major sporting events to Northern Ireland while bringing economic benefit to the local area and beyond. The velodrome plans include a 250m racing track, team changing rooms and an athletes lounge, management and events rooms, an inner track including badminton courts, five-a-side football facilities, and a short stay hostel. A council spokeswoman said after that after three years of thorough planning, the announcement "marked another milestone" in Down District Council's bid.

The third stage of the Elite Facilities Programme requires the council to resubmit its full business case, associated design and procurement strategy, which will be assessed for value for money, viability and need. Following this assessment, the Minister for Sport will announce, subject to affordability, if the application has been successful.” Finally I recently spotted a story that indicated that there could be a new track for Leeds. The downside, however, was that the article was dated June 1963! So by now that’s even longer than the wait for a new track at Harlow Track Plan Progress - Part 4 Dateline: 6-Nov-2009 Despite waiting 10 months before checking again on the proposed new velodromes there is not much apparent progress. The Glasgow venue will now be called the Sir Chris... but the only building work reported on the official website is that work has begun to clear the area. The London Olympic venue is however making progress and getting plenty of media exposure - including a statement by Lord Coe within the last few days that the 2012 venues will be ready by 2011. So this would make the London Velodrome a working reality within 2 years.

In Ireland the velodrome plans do not seem to have been discussed by the NI Assembly since Sep-2008 - so things look bleak. And the national finances in the republic seem to be too bad to support such an investment for many years to come - if ever. Cut-backs are still the order of the day. No news to add on Leicester - but in the context of commercially viable venues that was already a non-starter. So today’s assessment is that within 5 years there will be 4 useable indoor velodromes in the British Isles. And taking a positive view that is far better than cycling fans could have realistically expected a decade ago. What we will need next is the organisers and promoters that will take advantage of these new facilities. The Manchester Revolution series has been a great boost to track racing’s wider interest. London and Glasgow will need something just as good - but “as well as” rather than “instead of” the winter programmes at Manchester. Track Plan Progress - Part 3 Dateline: 31-Jan-2009 Not so much progress as a slip-up in the process for the Irish Velodrome plans.

According to the “Down Democrat” web site - “Velodrome now within reach for Down District. A MISSED deadline by Down District’s main rival for an Olympic sized velodrome and leisure complex could see the facility established outside Downpatrick. It has emerged that Belfast City Council was late in submitting its latest bid for the multi-million pound velodrome at a meeting with Sport Northern Ireland in November 08. Now lawyers for the council are frantically attempting to put the wheels back on the capital’s case for the up-for-grabs funding. Down District is the only other council which has (successfully) entered a bid in the second round of the process instigated by Sport NI as part of its Elite Facilities Programme. A third bidder - a private company based outside Newry - remains in the race, but it is understood that the funding will most likely go to a public sector concern.” So Belfast has missed the deadline - but will this speed up making a decision? Or will strings be pulled and a new, later target set - so delaying the process even more? I will leave it up to you to supply the likely “Part 4” to this long-running story. And not much to add about the Chris Hoy Velodrome for Glasgow.

The contractor 3D-Reid has this CGI sample>> on their web site but little of substance. However there is a more detailed PDF download available from Culture & Sport Glasgow . The last real news item I spotted was the withdrawal of master track designer, Ron Webb, from the project back in September. Hopefully no news is good news and construction will start as planned this summer. Track Plan Progress - Part 2 Dateline: 19-Dec-2008 It is now a year since the plans for a velodrome in Ireland were posted here - and I thought it was time to check up how far the projects had progressed. Fortunately the Irish Cycling web site had recently provided a brief update - “.. the deadline was last Friday and the three locations in Northern Ireland were submitted. That is Belfast, Newry and Co. Down. The next stage is that in January [2009] there will be a technical assessment done of each of those applications. ... At that stage they will probably take in the region of six months before they identify a chosen candidate to proceed with. The most optimistic time [for an Irish velodrome] .... is late 2011.

The most pessimistic is mid-2013.” Isn’t it great to see the political process in such high-speed action? No updates yet on the situation at Leicester, Glasgow or London - or indeed if there has been some miracle at Harlow - but a lack of anything interesting on TV is encouraging me to dig deeper. Track Plan Progress 5 March 2008 Three months on and nothing more as emerged from Cycling Ulster, Cycling Ireland or the Northern Ireland Assembly regarding the proposed Irish velodrome. I could say “watch this space” but then you may want to find better things to do for the next decade or two! You may think this is a cynical, even defeatist, view but then ... How about this classic from a review published by the local Council in Harlow, Essex - “Wheeled sports are very popular; these include cycling, BMX, mountain biking, roller-skating, roller-blading, roller hockey, scooters, skateboarding and go-karts. Development or change of use to create a new facility, particularly located indoors, is required.

The Harlow Velodrome was developed for offices in the early 1990’s, it has proven very difficult to identify an acceptable site for the location of a new facility within the town. Any new facility should aim to be multipurpose for many types of wheeled sports. Although an indoor multi-use facility is sought, this may be difficult to provide so outdoor facilities are acceptable to help meet this sport deficit.” To summarise a complicated story, Harlow lost it’s track to developers in 1993 and the Council seem to claim that they are looking for alternatives. Given that these are “very popular” sports and that 15 years have already passed I can only assume that the distinction between finding a new track site “sometime” rather than “never” is academic. Heaven help any potential sports stars of Essex. More in the Harlow Velodrome Story .... New Track Plans for the British Isles November 2007 October saw the announcement of plans for a wide range of new sports facilities - including velodrome - for Leicester [British Cycling News - update this link has since been removed from the BC website]; the host city for the World Championships in both 1970 and 1982.

However the press release’s rather surreal drawing of the structure does not help a lot. The drawing has the track raised 1 to 2 m above the track centre but no stand. The blue “waterway” is in fact a very bright “cote d’azur” and the glass fronted stand (complete with BC logo) is for the motor bike speedway track next door. So is the track going to be an open-air velodrome, a training only indoor track or a full-function indoor venue? With only four staff in the region who else will be using the airport style building in the drawing? Hopefully the planners and architects will arrive at the conclusion that an all-year round, fully covered indoor track with seating for around 3,000 is a viable model for the future; both for the riders and prospective promoters. If another open-air track like the one demolished at Saffron Lane is planned then our enthusiasm could be short lived. The UCI’s move of track racing to the winter (in the northern hemisphere) means that viable velodromes have to be fully covered indoor venues. Promoters need to know that racing will go ahead no matter what the weather.

Personal experiences of waiting around in the rain for hours make me sure that the weather can kill off even the most dedicated groups of fans. [Update 22-Nov-07: BC have confirmed that the new facility will be a 250m outdoor track with tarmac surface. A bit like Saffron Lane but without the 3,000 seats!] In November Leicester’s plans were topped by the news that Glasgow had won its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. So Scotland will certainly join the indoor velodrome club not far behind London - who get their new track as part of the 2012 Olympics. And prospects for an all-Ireland velodrome in Ulster also look good with three sites - Belfast, Newry and Newcastle - being on a shortlist for a new track. A decision is expected by early in 2008 according to the debates in the Northern Ireland Assembly . [Update 12-Dec-07: “Cycling Ulster has expressed grave concern over the future of the proposed new velodrome following news of the Draft Budget Proposals for Northern Ireland.” more.. ] Taken together these plans could boost track cycling to new heights.

But at least 1 or 2 of the new venues must have the potential to attract enough paying customers to make the promotion of one day meetings (like the Revolution series), multi-day championships and even a few six-days financially attractive. Read Ron Webb’s interview “Wanted: Bums on seats in velodromes” here... Historic Vigorelli velodrome rescued by volunteers who fought off inertia | Richard Williams | Sport | The Guardian Historic Vigorelli velodrome rescued by volunteers who fought off inertia How an ageing velodrome has been saved by enthusiastic Italian volunteers who learned from English counterparts Italian Ercole Baldini competes in the Week of Records at the Vigorelli in 1956. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Friday 21 March 2014 08.25 EDT First published on Friday 21 March 2014 08.25 EDT Share on Messenger Close Mark Cavendish will set off on Sunday in search of a second victory in the Milan-San Remo classic , to go with the one he took by less than a tyre's width in a thunderous finish five years ago.

If the Manx Missile has an hour or so to spare on Saturday, he could do much worse than feed his appetite for cycling history by taking a short taxi ride to Milan's Vigorelli velodrome, which is open to the public this weekend as a prelude to the restoration with which it hopes to celebrate its 80th anniversary. The wooden boards of the Vigorelli – once known to cycling fans as the pista magica, or magic track – have a matchless tale to tell. Opened in 1935, and distinguished by the Futurist architecture of its external structure, this was the site of several successful attempts on the one-hour record, track cycling's blue riband, first by the immortal Fausto Coppi in 1942. Countless epic two-wheeled battles, including the world championships of 1939, 1951, 1955 and 1962, were fought on its bankings. But no cyclist has raced on the 397m track since 1999.

In recent years the only sporting activity to take place within its precincts has been American football, on a pitch laid out on the infield, where the world's greatest riders once checked their chain tension and warmed up on their rollers. The board track, last relaid in 1992, is warped and rotten in places where the roof above the grandstands and the track has not kept off the rain. Its history acknowledged only by the existence of a rather nondescript Vigorelli café on an adjacent street corner, the place became an embarrassment to the city. Plans for demolition were frequently announced, with offices and shops scheduled to spring up on the site. Last year those schemes nearly came true. But then, thanks to a group of energetic local enthusiasts who formed the Comitato Velodromo Vigorelli, an effective pressure was finally brought to bear. This week's announcement that the municipal authorities had approved the renovation represented the final removal of a long-standing threat. The Vigorelli will retain its location, adjacent to a new development of three spectacular towers, whose developers will fund renovation costs estimated at around €5m.

The campaigners have stepped back from a relatively lavish original plan, which envisaged scrapping the old surface and building a new 250m track to Olympic standards. Under a more realistic Plan B, there will be a renovation of the existing track. The Vigorelli will be used not just for cycling but for boxing, and the gridiron footballers of the Milan Rhinos will be invited to stay, having played a part in keeping the place at least partially open. Other sports may eventually join them. Those who visit this weekend will also see a plaque commemorating the Beatles' concert in the summer of 1965, the first date of the group's final European tour. The open days are sponsored by Italy's equivalent of English Heritage, an acknowledgement of the velodrome's value. They will also feature an exhibition of historic racing bikes, including the one on which Coppi set his record more than 70 years ago. That bike has a special connection with the Vigorelli, since its steel frame was hand-made by a former racer named Faliero Masi in a workshop beneath one of the grandstands.

Faliero is long dead, but his son Alfredo still maintains the premises, commissioned by collectors to restore his father's creations and occasionally using the old methods to satisfy an order for a new machine. The committee hopes that Masi, now 69, will stay on to greet visitors anxious for a glimpse of traditional skills that are once again in demand. The efforts to preserve the Vigorelli were inspired by a similar campaign in recent years at Herne Hill, the velodrome used for the 1948 Olympic Games. Unlike the Milan track, South London's shallow-banked 450m concrete bowl, opened in 1891, never fell completely silent, but its continued existence was in doubt until a group called the Friends of Herne Hill stepped forward four years ago and devised a programme aimed at ensuring its survival in tandem, rather than in competition, with the new indoor Olympic velodrome a few miles north.

Now the organisation has 600 members, the track has been resurfaced with the aid of a £200,000 grant from British Cycling , and planning permission is awaited for a new pavilion, designed by the architect of the 2012 Olympic velodrome, and already awarded £1.5m of funding from Sport England and the London Marathon Trust. This week Herne Hill learned that its annual Good Friday meeting, first held in 1903 and attended by crowds of 10,000 in the days when the greats of cycling competed there, is being moved by its promoters to Stratford. There the racing will be safe from the Easter weather, the cause of cancellations in recent years. But if an open-air track of non-Olympic dimensions will never again be a centre for elite racing, that does not mean it cannot establish a new relevance. Representatives of the Friends of Herne Hill and the Comitato Velodromo Vigorelli told me this week that their shared emphasis on community engagement is forming a basis for future co-operation.

Plans are already advanced for the creation of a Network of Historic Velodromes, a project in which the Italian and English tracks hope to be joined by the Roubaix velodrome in France, a concrete bowl opened in 1895 and the scene of the finish of the annual Paris-Roubaix one-day race. Eventually they would like to be joined by other stadiums with similar histories and needs. The secret is to identify a new role amid the explosion of interest in cycling. The romance of the past is fine, but only if it can be turned into a platform for a real engagement in the present. If Olympic medals and world records are no longer at stake, then these tracks remain ideal for giving newcomers their first taste of track racing. There will still be a Good Friday meeting at Herne Hill this year, but it will be a showcase for inter-schools races, for a disability cycling group, for women-only groups, for under-eights and over-40s, and others. Imagine a future in which generations of young riders, having gained their initial experience at Herne Hill, the Vigorelli and Roubaix, travel to each other's tracks to compete for individual and team trophies.

The volunteer campaigners who pursue this vision, using their commitment and imagination to fight off profiteers and overcome municipal inertia, are on to something very good indeed. Track Cycling In The Olympics | The Rio 2016 Velodro... Share Artist’s impression of the completed Rio Velodrome – Photo: rio2016.com With the 2016 games just months away all eyes are on Brazil to finish construction of its Olympic venues, in particular the repeatedly delayed Rio Velodrome. Currently a crack team of cycle track builders led by one of the world’s top velodrome designers are toiling away, trying to get the venue ready for cycle racing in August. So what’s the story behind Rio’s most troublesome Olympic build and will it be completed this summer or will we still be waiting to race on it in 2020? Where Will The Rio Velodrome Be Built? The Rio Velodrome will be built next to the coast in Barra da Tijuca – Photo: Google.com Designed and built specially for the 2016 games, the Rio Velodrome is part of the staggering £5.1bn Rio Olympic park project.

Located in Barra da Tijuca on the West side of Rio the Olympic park sits right on the coast, enjoying stunning views out across the Atlantic Ocean. Related Articles Fisher-Price Have Made a Turbo Trainer for Three Year Olds… And We Want One Barra da Tijuca – Wikipedia.org Barra is one of Rio’s richest and most beautiful neighbourhoods. Known for its beaches, rivers and mansions this is a playground for Brazil’s celebrities and is fast becoming one of the most popular spots to go shopping and clubbing in the city. The Olympic Park site is built on an area of reclaimed marshland that used to be the site of the Nelson Piquet International Autodrome which was a major centre for motorsport, hosting the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix on ten occasions. Nine years ago the site was partially redeveloped for the 2007 Pan American Games when a velodrome was built to host the Games’ track cycling events . Since then both the track and the original velodrome have been demolished to make way for the 2016 Olympic Park project.

The 2007 Barra Velodrome – Photo: Wikipedia.org It might seem crazy to tear down a one velodrome just to build another one but unfortunately the 2007 track didn’t meet International Cycling Union (UCI) standards for Olympic events. With the costs for modifying the existing velodrome running close to the price for a completely new building it was decided to knock down the old Barra Velodrome and start again. How Is The Rio Velodrome Being Built? The Rio Velodrome’s outer shell is now complete – Photo: Rio2016.com The Rio Velodrome’s construction began in February 2014, and it’s been a green minded project from the get go, designed to gain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which means it will promote sustainability in its construction. When it’s completed the Rio Velodrome will be the first Olympic level training venue in the country. Unlike the 2007 velodrome the Rio 2016 velodrome will be kept, along with most of the other park venues, as part of an Olympic training centre for Brazil’s future world class athletes.

After the Olympics the Rio velodrome, and other Olympic Park venues, will become a training centre – Photo: Olympic.org Featuring permanent seats for 5,000 plus 800 temporary seats just for the games, the Rio velodrome will have almost the same capacity its London 2012 predecessor and the similarities don’t end there. The Rio track will also be made out of Siberian Pine, just like the London 2012 Velodrome. Related Articles How Fast Will The Rio Velodrome Be? Siberian Pine is one of the best timers for building velodrome tracks – Photo: Wikipedia.org Siberian pine is famous for its ability to bend into new shapes without splintering or breaking while still maintaining the strength needed to build an Olympic level cycle racing track. Reputed to be the fastest surface for racing on in the world, Siberian Pine can be affected by changes in temperature and humidity which cause the wood to warp. Velodrome tracks have to be flawless to achieve the best results at competition. Even small bumps or irregularities can makes a track impossible to race on which means that conditions have to be perfect for the wood before track construction can begin.

The London 2012 velodrome also made use of Siberian Pine – Photo: Wikipedia.org For London 2012 the wood was given several months inside the drome to acclimatise to UK conditions before it was used, ensuring the smoothest and fastest possible finish. It’s not clear how long the timber for Rio has had to get used to the sweltering Brazilian heat which raises some questions about the final finish. If all goes well though this track could still be fast enough to set new Olympic and world records. Who Designed The Rio Velodrome? Ralph Schurmann – Photo: velodromes.com The team building the Rio Velodrome track are lead by Ralph Schurmann, part of the Schuermann Architects group who are have been designing velodromes since 1925 and have 7 Olympic and 20 World Championship tracks to their name. These are the same guys who were responsible for the Beijing 2008 track which saw Olympic Records set by the likes of Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton so we can be sure of a fast track when it’s eventually finished.

Shurman also helped to design the Laoshan Velodrome for the Beijing 2008 Olympics – Photo: wikipedia.org When Will The Rio Velodrome Be Finished? With tonnes of delays, time is running out for the Rio Velodrome to be completed The Rio Velodrome was originally Scheduled to be finished in second half of 2015 (according to Rio 2016 website ) but construction has been repeatedly delayed. The first test run at the velodrome was due to take place in March 2016 but was then pushed back a month. As April came around it was clear that the track still wouldn’t be ready in time and a new projected finish date of May 31 has now been given with a provisional schedule for a training event and test run at the end of June. Organisers have cited “logistical problems” with unloading the wood and installing offices as the reason behind the delays, but whether everything will be running smoothly by the opening of the games on August 5 and the start of track cycling events on August 11-16 remains a mystery.

According to the latest reports there is currently a shell to the building but no news on the wooden track yet, but with the shell in place everything can be sealed and air conditioned for the Siberian timber to be laid. So fingers crossed for meeting that August deadline and creating a track where Team GB can smash even more Olympic Records. Photo: wikipedia.org BBC Sport - Velodrome for London 2012 Olympics is opened Velodrome for London 2012 Olympics is opened Advertisement Take a ride round the Olympic Velodrome The 6,000-seat velodrome for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics was officially opened on Tuesday. The venue for track cycling, expected to come in under its budget at around £93m, is the first to be completed at the Olympic Park. Sir Chris Hoy, who won three cycling gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, helped in the design. "The new velodrome is going to be the best in the world. I can't wait until I can compete on it," he said. London 2012 chairman Lord Coe described the VeloPark as "a stunning venue built for champions".

ADRIAN WARNER'S BLOG A full photo gallery of the new velodrome can be seen on the BBC website. Organisers are also billing it as the world's fastest cycling track, thanks to a range of tailored features including the track geometry plus the temperature and environmental conditions. "It will be nice when we turn up on race day for the first day of competition at the Olympics," added four-time Olympic champion Hoy. "All of the Union Jacks will be out and, hopefully, the noise and the atmosphere will give us an advantage, maybe put the fear of death into the other countries, too." KEY DATES: TRACK CYCLING 2012 World Championships, Melbourne, Australia 8 APRIL 2012 Olympic Track Ranking closes, qualification places allocated after this point Hoy has ridden on the finished London 2012 cycle track along with fellow Beijing winners Victoria Pendleton and Jason Kenny. A team of British sprint stars all aiming for success at next year's Games have also given the chance to ride on it. "Having been involved in a very small way in the design process in the early stages, it's amazing to see the velodrome finally completed," said Hoy.

"To be able to have ridden on it gives me a feel for what it's going to be like. I can't wait." The Olympic Delivery Authority started construction work on the velodrome in March 2009. DAVID BOND BLOG There is no doubt the Olympic velodrome is now viewed by many as the model venue for the new Olympic Park The venue is in line to stage a test event in early 2012. Having seating wrapped all the way round the track should help to create a crowd atmosphere during events, according to Hoy. "No matter where you are in the stadium, you can see the full track," said the 34-year-old Scot. "Instead of having noise in the back straight and the home straight as you go around, you get this wall of noise the whole way. It creates this gladiatorial arena." ODA chairman John Armitt said: "In delivering the velodrome on time and to budget, we have completed our first Olympic Park venue and our biggest milestone to date.

"The striking architecture of the velodrome and the medal prospects of our world-leading cyclists mean the venue will become one of the defining images from the Games, and a landmark new building for future generations to enjoy." Olympic velodrome construction in 30 seconds After the Games, the velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community. It will include a cafe, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities. Track cycling was Great Britain's most successful discipline in Beijing, with Hoy's haul and four other titles accounting for more than a third of Team GB's overall total of 19 gold medals. Britain will be pushing to beat that at London 2012, although a rule change means only one rider/team per nation is allowed to compete in each of 10 track cycling events. Bookmark with: Cycling Track - Summer Olympic Sport Cycling Track Hoy gets GB on track - London 2012 - Cycling Track 03 Aug 2012 Cycling on wooden indoor tracks regularly drew large crowds as early as 1870 and was included in the inaugural Olympics Games. Wooden indoor tracks As early as 1870, track races in England were regularly attracting large crowds.

The riders competed on wooden indoor tracks that closely resembled the modern velodromes of today. Such tracks ensured the event could be competed all year round. But for promoters there was an even greater benefit – spectators could be charged an entrance fee! Olympic history Track cycling events have been organised at all the editions of the Games since 1896, with the exception of the 1912 Games in Stockholm, when only the road race was staged. Between 1924 and 1992, the range of events was generally as follows: sprint, time trial over one kilometre, tandem and team pursuit. The individual pursuit was added to the programme of the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the tandem was dropped after the 1972 Games in Munich. Women have competed in the track events since the Seoul Games in 1988, the year that marked the appearance of women in the sprint event, followed by the individual pursuit in 1992. At the Sydney Games in 2000, several track events were introduced: 500m time trial for women, but also keirin, American and sprint for men.

Boston 2024: Olympic effort still seeking site for proposed velodrome - The Boston Globe Advertisement “Do you support more affordable housing or a velodrome?” an opponent asks passersby in a video produced by No Boston Olympics. One man’s response is typical: “I don’t know what a velodrome is,” he says, “but sounds unnecessary by the title.” Olympic organizers would never have encountered that answer if they were bidding for the Games a century ago. Get Fast Forward in your inbox: Forget yesterday's news. Get what you need today in this early-morning email. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here From 1890 to 1920, there were at least three velodromes in the Boston area, attracting thousands of fans who bet on professional bicycle racers with cloth caps and handlebar moustaches. One velodrome, built near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1896, drew overflow crowds of 16,000, “making it one of the top sporting venues in the region,” according to the Cambridge Historical Society . The altered blueprint has been in the works for months amid mounting public criticism of the local Olympic effort.

That golden era has long since faded. Boston 2024’s first choice for its velodrome, Assembly Square in Somerville, was rejected by the city’s mayor, who said venues that have no long-term benefit “won’t cut it” in his community. The group’s second choice, Suffolk Downs in East Boston, was shot down by the track’s operator, who was direct about it: “We’re not interested in a velodrome at this point.” Boston 2024 Boston 2024’s first choice for its velodrome, Assembly Square in Somerville, was immediately rejected by the city’s mayor. Olympic organizers, who are preparing to unveil their revised plan this week, acknowledge that the velodrome conundrum is one question that may be left unanswered. Advertisement Worried about leaving behind an unwanted arena, the organizers, who initially proposed a permanent velodrome, are now floating the idea of making it a temporary venue that could be dismantled or scaled down into a field house after the Games. Whichever path they pursue, the hulking venue is likely to be costly.

Toronto spent $46 million to build a 2,500-seat velodrome for this summer’s Pan-Am Games. London spent $140 million to build a 6,000-seat velodrome for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Boston’s initial bid in January proposed a 5,000-seat velodrome on 12 acres but did not give a price tag. “We have been very clear that we will not build any permanent facilities that do not have a long term and sustainable legacy value for the region,” said Erin Murphy, senior vice president at Boston 2024. But even velodrome believers admit getting Americans excited about the sport is not easy. Watching muscular racers on fixed-gear bicycles with no brakes hurtling around steeply banked tracks is popular in Europe. But in the United States, “it’s sort of a marginalized discipline,” said Andy Sparks, director of track programs at USA Cycling. “You say, ‘track cycling,’ and people are not familiar with the concept.” That is partly because hardly anyone knows what a velodrome is, particularly in New England.

There are only 28 of the oval-shaped tracks in the United States and the one closest to Boston is in Breinigsville, Pa., 317 miles away. The only American velodrome that meets Olympic specifications is in Carson, Calif. The last velodrome in New England, a humble asphalt course built on a former go-kart track in Londonderry, N.H., closed in 2011 after struggling to attract cyclists. “I basically had to stand outside bike races and bike shops and say, ‘Listen, this is what I’m trying to get started,’ and nobody had ever heard of it,” said Tony Eberhardt, who was founder and director of the New England Velodrome and Cycling Park. “I would love to see it take off here, but I don’t think it’s a viable business.” Cambridge Historical Commission From 1890 to 1920, there were at least three velodromes in the Boston area. Pictured: The track at the Charles River Park in Cambridge around the turn of 19th century. Among hard-core cyclists, Boston’s Olympic bid has sparked hopes of a velodrome revival.

When the city won the competition to bid for the Games in January, “the usual cycling e-mail lists lit up and people said, ‘Oh, great, great! We’re going to get a velodrome,’” said Ed Kross, a former competitive cyclist from Framingham, who is trying to build a velodrome in the area . He spoke to Boston 2024 about running the velodrome as a nonprofit track after the Games but did not reach a deal. Kross and other boosters point out that Boston has a high concentration of competitive cyclists, and harsh winters. A velodrome, they say, would provide a place for these cyclists to train from November to March and draw fans willing to plunk down $15 to watch races. “We know we’ve got an audience,” said Kurt Begemann, a former member of Zimbabwe’s cycling team, who has pitched investors for 10 years on a velodrome in the Boston area. “Unfortunately, the investors I’ve approached don’t want to take the gamble. They’re like, ‘OK, I kind of see it.

But I’m more interested in making money in a short period of time.’ ” Are Velodromes the Future of City Sports, or the Past? - CityLab CityLab Please follow the steps below Are Velodromes the Future of City Sports, or the Past? Philly may take a chance on building a type of cycling arena that was immensely popular at the turn of the century, then all but abandoned. Tweet A "self-propelled roller coaster": That's how medalist racer Linsey Hamilton describes the velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota, a place that is important to her. Hamilton is an avid track racer: She won two bronze medals at the World ­Masters Track Cycling Championships earlier this year. Hamilton is one of several competitive cyclists produced by the Blaine velodrome. Unfortunately, her primer on the velodrome comes at the end of a Minneapolis Star-Tribune story about how the Blaine velodrome—the only track-racing facility in the entire state—may be coming down. Cyclists take practice laps on the velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota, in 2006.

(Tim Wilson/ Flickr ) A renovation of the wooden track would cost its operators, National Sports Center, about $850,000. Replacing the track entirely could cost $1.2 million, close to what it cost to build the track back in 1990. Needless to say, the famously devoted cyclist community in Minneapolis is fighting to save the velodrome —even as another group, Minnesota Cycling Center , is looking to build another velodrome as a part of a larger campus devoted to cycling elsewhere in Minneapolis. The board of National Sports Center meets Thursday to discuss the facility's future. It sounds like fans have raised enough money to keep the Blaine velodrome open another few years. That's only delaying the inevitable, though. What Minneapolis needs is Philly muscle. In Philadelphia, a development called Project 250 intends to build a world-class velodrome at FDR Park in South Philadelphia. This track-cycling arena, an Olympic-caliber project, would boast some 6,000 seats for fans. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer , the project already has the support of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, at least one City Council member, and other stakeholders.

The Project 250 velodrome arena proposed for Philadelphia. (Sheward Partnership) The looming failure of the velodrome in Minneapolis raises a question: Is Philadelphia being taken for a ride? According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press , track racing simply doesn't draw the crowds in the Twin Cities: The velodrome's total attendance during its short season is about 4,500, [National Sports Center spokesperson Barclay] Kruse said, compared to the sports center's Victory Links golf course, which draws about 48,000 people annually. Soccer programs attract about 1.6 million players and spectators to the campus throughout the year; the Schwan Super Rink, which is open year-round, brings in about $2 million total visitors. When compared to a sport more in its development stages at the sports center, track racing still falls behind, Kruse said. Ultimate Frisbee programs, for example, brought in about 18,000 people last year. Neither is Minneapolis the only city where the future of track cycling looks shaky.

A plan to build a velodrome in Washington, D.C., crashed last year , despite the relatively reasonable $300,000 price tag and the city's enthusiasm for building stadiums of dubious value to taxpayers . And as the Inky's Inga Saffron explains , recent velodrome proposals for Boulder, Colorado, and Brooklyn failed to build any velocity. Only 26 velodromes exist nationwide. So what has so many Philadelphia officials convinced that the $100 million velodrome at the heart of Project 250—named for the same 250-meter track that isn't working out for Minneapolis—is such a good idea? For starters, developers are promising to give back to the city. In exchange for the prime four-acre site where the velodrome would be built, the development corporation, led by private-equity executive Phil Senechal, will invest between $5 million and $15 million to clean up and renovate FDR Park. Further, Project 250 will re-create the four acres of park that it's taking up, in the form of a new park of the same size (on Pattison Avenue, on the former Naval Hospital site, to be specific).

The Project 250 velodrome arena proposed for Philadelphia. (Sheward Partnership) But perhaps more importantly, this development project isn't slated to cost the city a dime. Saffron writes that the location alone could make the project. The site in question, as part of FDR Park, which was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, would give the velodrome major visibility, perhaps enough to land a named sponsorship for an arena—even for a sport that has yet to capture the spotlight. ( South Philly Review published a long feature with more details from the developer's perspective.) Saffron, a Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, raises all the right questions about the project: whether the park should be considered inviolable; whether the developers can actually raise the money; whether the architects on the team have the experience to build the velodrome they've drawn up. While she's skeptical—"the project comes to the parks commission practically preapproved," she acidly notes —Saffron admits the possibility that the velodrome could be a bargain for Philadelphia, provided that the city can shore up firmer terms for the deal. I would add a cultural question to the list: Has the time for the velodrome arrived?

Can an arena typology that was immensely popular at the turn of the century and then all but abandoned be revived? For Philadelphia, it's worth looking seriously at how the velodrome fares in Minneapolis, a city with a serious biking culture that sustained a track-cycling venue for more than 20 years, but never fully grew into it. Could a Philly velodrome thrive in another site in the city? If the answer is no, then the city should think carefully about the value of even a portion of FDR Park. If this park area is the kind of subsidy that can make a once-old timey, now-futurist sport take off where no other location can, then officials might consider asking for more than what they're being offered. *Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Linsey Hamilton as a professional track racer. She is an amateur cyclist.

Question: What sport takes place in a velodrome?
Answer: Track Cycling