Track racing is one of the most exciting sports there is and here in the UK, we have some of the best venues in the World. The UK is also one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to track racing. We have the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Kilo champion in Jason Queally and GB riders brought back a stack of medals from the Sydney Olympics. In the World Championships over the last 100 years, riders from GB team have stood proud on the podium winning rainbow jerseys and having medals draped around their necks again and again, proving that our track riders are truly World Class.

And you can be part of the fun! In this special feature, you'll learn everything you need to know about getting involved in the high intensity and exciting world of track racing. We'll look at the bikes, the events, the tracks, what you need to go racing and where. Whatever your cycling talents or interests, Track Racing has something to offer you.

Throughout the UK, there are a number of outdoor velodromes and if you click on the UK Tracks link, you will see a list of those available at the time of writing. But as this is winter, we'll take an even closer look at indoor tracks of which the country has three -- Manchester, Newport (Welsh National Velodrome) and Calshot.

The first two are 250 metre tracks while Calshot is a mini version of them at only 140 metres. These tracks consist of two tight, banked corners joined by two short straights. The atmosphere sitting along the fences of these is electric as spectators bang the advertising boards as riders flash by under the noses of spectators at 40mph plus. Anyone who was at the World Championships in 2000 or at Good Friday (Herne Hill) in 2003 will know just how special a major meeting can be.

So why not get involved and start today by taking a look through this feature. By the time you have read the various sections, you'll soon be an expert on the sport and then all you have to do then is to use that knowledge to get on your bike and get racing! Down the right are various links. Click one to learn more about track bikes, UK Tracks, Track events and lots more. Here is an overview of the sections you will find links for in the right-hand menu:

	UK TRACKS (Velodromes): A spotlight on the three indoor tracks in the UK (Manchester, Calshot, and Newport (Wales)) plus links to a list of other outdoor ones you will find around the country. >DETAILS
	TRACK BIKES: What is a track bike and what sort do you need to go racing? Find out in this section exploring the different types of bikes and their wheels, tyres, cranks etc etc. >DETAILS
	STAR RIDERS: We have plenty to choose from in the UK, both past and present and in this section, you'll get to learn about who the top UK riders are as well look at the honours list from World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Olympics, and so on from the year dot. >DETAILS
	TRACK EVENTS: You have a bike and a track to ride on but what events are you likely to be racing in. What ones are you suited to or prefer to ride in? Here is a laymans guide to most of the events you'll see at a track event but be warned the more 'creative' event organisers will come up with variations of these events just to confuse you even more! >DETAILS
	PICTURE TRACK RACING HERE! Want to see what tracking is all about? We have thousands of photos from tracks here in the UK and around the World. See for yourself how exciting it all looks! >DETAILS
	WHAT IS A TRACK? When you first see a track, you may be wondering what the lines mean and why do they put those rubbery things around the track for some events. In this section, we'll explain all you need to know about the track. >DETAILS
	TRACK TIPS: A section with some general tips on riding and racing on tracks. Lots of useful help from one of the worlds top Masters riders. >DETAILS

RELATED LINKS:

TRACK RECORDS
British Records | World Records

BRITISH TRACKS
>Click for Details

SIX DAY RACING
Keep up to date with what is happening on this dedicated Website.

OLYMPICS 2004 WEBSITE
>Click here for details

BRITISH CYCLING REGULATIONS (RULES)
>Click here for details

Attack: When a rider makes a sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders.

Break/breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind and leads the race.

Chasers: Rider(s) trying to catch a breakaway group.

Draft: To ride closely behind another rider and save energy by sitting in the draft the rider creates as they move forward.

Derny: A type of small motor bike that has hardly changed over the years (to look at anyway) used on the track for events such as the Keirin and Derny races.

Flyer: A surprise attack, usually by a solo rider. Look out for riders who ride high on the banking and make a surge past the group.

Pole line: The innermost line on the velodrome surface, used to measure the length of the track; also called the measuring line.

Pull: To take a turn at the front of the group, maintaining the same speed of the group.

Repechage: A round (usually in sprint competitions) in which losers of previous heats race against each other to gain re-entry into the competition.

Sprinters line: A red line which marks the outside edge of the sprinters lane over the final 200 metres.

Standstill: A sprint manoeuvre in which neither rider wishes to lead, resulting in both remaining motionless and balancing on the track for a maximum of time of 30 seconds.

If you have some terms you would like to see added, email larryhickmott@btopenworld.com

The intention of this feature is to make track racing more accessible for the beginner to get involved in by providing as much information as we can for them. This section is just the start and new things will be added as and when they are created. Perhaps you have something to say on the sport that you feel would be useful. If so, that's great and I'd love to add it. Just send it to me (larryhickmott@btopenworld.com) so we can take a look!

A good question but more to the point, why not go track racing? There is little doubt for those that have done it, that track racing is a truly exciting sport in its own right.

Yes, there is no equivalent of the Tour de France in track racing that captures the imagination quite like 'Le Tour' but then look at events like the Good Friday meeting at Herne Hill, and you'll see that the sport has been around for just as long as its road counterpart and is probably more exciting to watch.

When researching this feature, I found very little in the way of material on the internet about track racing. Even the bike shops I went to give it very little in the way of space. There may well have been books in the past and that is an area we'll look at but there is a lack of information on getting involved in track racing. Or at least there was because this is just stage 1 of this feature.

 

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

Through this section, there will be a club spotlight, with details on clubs that have a strong presence on the track and in track racing. If your club fits that description, then why not write us a quick description similar to this and others and send it in to us to be included in this feature.

LONDON & VC LONDRES

If the crowd at Herne Hill (SW London) in April is anything to go by, there are more than a few fans of the sport down there. One club that is heavily involved in Track racing is VC Londres. Bryan Taylor, who has been very helpful in providing a lot of material for this feature, is also happy to tell us about his club.

VC Londres are based at Herne Hill stadium, though its members come from across London & the South East. Members range from novice track riders through to National Champions of all ages. The club has no sponsors, but a wealth of experience that is freely passed on to all newcomers, young and old.

The club is heavily involved in running the popular Saturday morning training sessions at Herne Hill. Dave Creasey, Colin Denman and Russell Williams are key figures teaching newcomers both young & old to ride the track, & hopefully help discover the next generation of champions�.. The emphasis of the training sessions is on enjoyment and acquisition of skills. Novice riders are on first, & once they have acquired the basic skills & confidence, they can then ride the main training session of the morning. With Russell now having departed to Australia the club have a number of BC qualified coaches coming through to take his place.

After graduating from the Saturday training sessions at Herne Hill, the club's youngsters receive a free jersey & get their first racing experience at the summer track league on Monday evenings, with their racing program structured to give all a chance of success with lots of handicap races and controlled races.

The older Youth riders are then encouraged to ride some of the senior races when they are of sufficient standard, along with any novice riders who are confident enough to move on from the Saturday sessions. Thanks to an Awards for All grant, Peter Cattermole has renovated a number of track bikes, enabling new riders to try track racing without having to buy expensive equipment first. The club also organises pre-season trips to Calshot, where sessions are structured to suit the needs of the riders.

Many more VC Londres members are in track league action all season at Herne Hill, with riders in all the categories, from A & B cats to Women & Youth. Senior members are on hand to look after the club's riders at National & International competitions. During the summer months, Colin Denman runs derny training sessions on Thursday nights where all competent track riders are welcome & will be given the necessary coaching to ride behind a derny if required.

How to Join VC Londres
Contacts for the club are as follows:
Membership: Stephen Powell - sfdpowell@hotmail.com
Youth: Peter Cattermole - peter_cattermole@hotmail.com
Website: www.vcl.org.uk

OTHER FEATURED CLUBS
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