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London 2012 Velodrome Unveiled

Story posted February 23, 2011

Cyclists from the Great Britain Cycling Team including Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Jason Kenny, took to the track in the London 2012 Velodrome for the first time as the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) unveiled the first Olympic Park venue to finish construction, on time and to budget. The 6,000 seat Velodrome will host the Olympic and Paralympic Track Cycling events in 2012. After the Games, the legacy Velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community and will include a café, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities. The ODA started work on the Velodrome in March 2009 with construction now completed and the first Olympic Park venue in place nearly 18 months before the start of the Games.

Selected riders from the Great Britain Cycling Team tried out the Velodrome for the first time today including Beijing Games medal winners Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny and Ross Edgar, together with rising stars and established names in the GB cycling team. The cyclists were joined in unveiling the Velodrome by ODA Chairman John Armitt, Seb Coe Chair of the London Organising Committee (LOCOG), Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and other guests.

Sir Chris Hoy, triple gold medal-winner at the Beijing Games and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time, said "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, and to be able to have ridden on it today gives me a feel for what it's going to be like in a year and a half's time. I can't wait!"

Dave Brailsford and Seb Coe pose for the press with the help of the riders in the GB Cycling Team led by Olympic champions Victoria Pendleton and Sir Chris Hoy.

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. The architect, engineers and contractor have worked together to produce a stunning and sustainable building – it is a worthy venue to be first past the Olympic Park finishing line and a testament to the hard work of those on site."

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: "This is a stunning venue built for champions, and designed for legacy. The ODA has done a terrific job. Over the next 18 months LOCOG will be testing the venue and installing the temporary facilities needed for an Olympic and Paralympic competition Velodrome. The British cycling teams provided many of the team GB superstars in recent Games and I am proud to see them on the track for the first time today."

The GB riders got to spend three hours circling the track to be used for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: "The progress on the Velodrome has been phenomenal and it is fitting that it should be the first venue on the Olympic Park to be finished, given the gold medal hopes we have for our British Olympic Track Cycling team at the Games. Watching Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton christen the track today was a historic first in the countdown to London 2012."

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "This magnificent venue is a triumph for all those involved in its design and construction. Already an icon for the London Games, with its sweeping roof and sleek ribbon of track, the Velodrome is poised for our world-beating cycling team to smash records in the summer of 2012 and inspire a new generation of racers to take to the saddle. There is no doubt that the Velodrome will be the venue of choice after the Games, both by the community and for major international competitions for years to come, helping to make London the cycling capital of the world."

Ian Drake, Chief Executive of British Cycling, said: "This fantastic Velodrome will be nothing but an inspiration to our Olympic and Paralympic riders in 2012. Indeed, with the continued growth in popularity of cycling, anyone who is inspired to ride by the likes of Hoy or Pendleton will benefit. Put alongside our home in Manchester and the forthcoming Velodrome in Glasgow we are in a really strong position to further build upon our status as the world’s leading track cycling nation with world-class facilities that are second to none."

Chris Hoy and Tommy Godwin shake hands after their speeches to the VIPs at the Velodrome launch.

Pat McQuaid, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), said: "The structural completion of the Velodrome today is a significant milestone in the delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic project, and we thank London 2012 for their work to date. The popularity of cycling is increasing every year both in the UK and globally. We are confident that the cycling events in 2012 will produce worthy winners and spectacular events for spectators and help with the further growth of our sport."

"Those of you who were in Manchester this weekend for the last round of our World Cup – on the historic velodrome where over the years our friends from British Cycling have built up the current success of this discipline – were once again provided with the proof that track cycling is one of the most pure and most fascinating cycling disciplines!"

Riders such as Matt Crampton were quite excited about getting onto the Olympic boards for the first time.

Velodrome fact file: 

* 250m UCI (International Cycling Union) approved indoor track
* 6,000 seats and 360 degree concourse in legacy for viewing all cycling activities
* Legacy café, changing rooms, cycle workshop, & storage for over 300 bikes with a legacy bike hire outlet for families to hire bikes to use the new cycling facilities
* Venue will be linked into cycle routes across London

Cycling legacy:
* After the Games, a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to the Velodrome and BMX circuit to create the Lee Valley VeloPark, combining cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’
* The legacy VeloPark will be owned and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Games-time:
* There will be 10 gold medals to be won in the London 2012 Velodrome, five for men and five for women. 
* There will be five events for men and five for women: Sprint, Team Sprint, Keirin, Team Pursuit, and The

Omnium
* 188 riders will compete in London 2012
* The track cycling competition will take place over six days in London 2012