Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

London 2012 Velodrome claimed to be world's fastest track

Records may tumble at London Games as first cyclists take to the boards

The track at the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome has been hailed as the fastest in the world after cyclists took to its boards for the first time with just over 18 months to go until the Games.

The Evening Standard reports that a dozen riders from Halesowen Cycling Club tested out the 250-metre track at the £100 million Velodrome as UCI inspectors undertook final certification of the facility, which next month will become the first London 2012 venue at the Olympic Park in Stratford to open.

The event also saw the Velodrome’s PA system tested, as was a lighting system that, come the Olympics, will help HD TV cameras capture the action in unprecedented detail.

One rider lucky enough to take part in the testing, 15-year-old Emily Kay, 15, called it “awesome.”

The youngster added: "We just kept going faster and you could hardly get me off it. We often compete at the Manchester velodrome but this seems even faster."

The track has been designed by Ron Webb, considered the world’s leading velodrome designer, who has previously worked on those created for the Seoul, Athens and Sydney Olympics, among others.

The Australian said: "We had an advantage because this building is bigger than most velodromes. It was just a matter of making a few tweaks to make it even faster. Records will be broken in 2012 but that will have more to do with the fitness of the athletes and the occasion than my track."

The first big event to be held at the 6,000-seater Velodrome, whose track includes 56 kilometres of Siberian pine timber, will be a World Cup event in February next year.
Olympic Delivery Authority project manager Richard Arnold told the Standard: "It was great to see cyclists in the velodrome for the first time.

"Achieving the cycling federation's sign-off for the delivery of the track is an important milestone and gives everyone on site a huge boost as we approach the final stages of construction."
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
stevboss | 13 years ago
0 likes

First event not until February 2012?! Aw, c'mon! Why the wait if it's completely finished?

I thought there was talk of a 'six' event this autumn...

Avatar
davebinks | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hmmmm, "Fastest in the world"

I'm sure the 15 years old young lady is a lovely lass, but is she really qualified to say that?????

Avatar
ColT replied to davebinks | 13 years ago
0 likes
davebinks wrote:

Hmmmm, "Fastest in the world"

I'm sure the 15 years old young lady is a lovely lass, but is she really qualified to say that?????

Where does she say that?  7

The most predictable bit is that she described it as 'awesome'.  37

Avatar
billyam998 replied to davebinks | 13 years ago
0 likes
davebinks wrote:

Hmmmm, "Fastest in the world"

I'm sure the 15 years old young lady is a lovely lass, but is she really qualified to say that?????

Yes Dave she is, if you had attended any of this years revolution series you would have seen her showing off her remarkable form by winning just about every event she rides. Future star most definitely.

Latest Comments