I just read an article in the Times Dispatch (ugh) that discussed an olympic training center to be built in Chesterfield. Included is a 250m velodrome. This isnt a ‘maybe possibly’ kind of scenario. A local guy has already put up a lot of money for the $100 million facility so it looks like a go. Braden will be pumped about this but he probably already knows. I dont really have much to say in this other than that. I’m pumped but I’m at my grandmothers house and no one here would really care except my uncle who’s kinda a roadie but even he’s like ‘meh’ on track racing.
Fuuuuckin sweet.
Sweet, my brother lives near there.
Link to article?
I didnt see anything in the article online mentioning the velodrome but a layout in the paper had it.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/l ... 17/161263/I have been waiting for the official press release for months now. The velodrome is part of phase two of the complex is far from being a done deal. I’m trying not to get excited yet… but goddamn this could be sweet.
Like theyd let you geeks ride your tarck bikes on it anyway.
“GTFO of here you skinny bastards!”
sweeeet
when did trent move there?
that’s good news. maybe i won’t leave this stupid state just yet…
yeah but a lot of the money has already been put up for the place so it’d take something substantial for it to not happen.
That’s awesome, I wonder when it will be done.
yeah but a lot of the money has already been put up for the place so it’d take something substantial for it to not happen.[/quote]
Yes and no. You gotta remember that this is a multi sport facility and cycling is lower on the list of priorities that I would like. They have a big big plan to do sports facilities, medical offices, and retail space. This is a FOR PROFIT facility and historically velodromes have not been money makers for about 3/4 of a century. I’m not trying to down play it but we are talking phase two of a HUGE project that still has not broken ground yet.
Richmond kids gotta remember that they have had track racing in their town for years at southside speedway and a good way to encourage faith in this project is to see continued growth in attendance at the track events at Go Fast Turn Left. This year we move to weekly race series in the spring with a gear restricted C class beginner race so if anyone has even the slightest interest in racing their bike they have no excuse to wait for the mythical velodrome to drop out of the sky. Plus I have it worked out so you can race your first race free of charge.
pop was at a C.C. planning and development meeting. theyre breaking ground this winter. and moving very quickly about it.
whats wrong with the times dispatch
it’s damn poor quality for a paper that has a circulation of over 185,000 daily.
When does Go Fast start? I’ve missed the season that last couple of years because I’ve been out of town.
And how do you figure a OTC would be for profit. If you qualify you live on site and have all your food, room and training paid for.
USA cycling hasn’t said anything about it as far as I know but to be fair all the news they’ve talked about for a while now is BMX =)
^^+1
i dont know the details really
theres a spring weekly track series at southside speedway for 2 months every tuesday (I think) at like 6 or 7pm and then I think 2 (instead of 3) go fast turn left full track/road events over the summer
Ok, first off this is not some center backed by any specific sports governing body like the USAOC or USAC. This is a FOR PROFIT project. The multisports complex is just part of the picture. They are trying to build retail space, food service (and fast food), and spaces open to medical practices. These will all be for RENT. This project has to MAKE MONEY or it wont fly. I don’t know where you all get the idea that this is some charity thing that the wizard of speed skating dreamed up to be a nice guy. He is a business man, plain and simple. They only way the cycling stuff will work is if he is planning those as a loss leader to drive interest in the more profitable aspects of the project. But if it all adds up to a velodrome being too much of a net loss I’ll bet dollars to donuts that it won’t happen.
The Richmond area has a very rich history of projects either dying on the vine or not even getting much past the ground breaking. Performance art center? Canal walk?
I’m not trying to piss in everyone’s wheaties but I am trying remain realistic here.
I don’t think there is anyone in Richmond who actually wants a velodrome more than I do. I have been putting on track races at the speedway (and in the streets before that) for almost 8 years now for a reason. I want to show USAC and others who hold pull with the people that can finance projects like this that Richmond does have enough interest in the sport to provide plenty of racers if a track does come to town. I have never tried to hide this and have even caught backlash from the shitball “bike-punks” for this.
That being said… I think this year more so than ever it is very important to see a huge bump in attendance at the track races at the speedway. The people behind the velodrome need to see that there are enough people out there dedicated to racing on a real track that they are willing to do so on a beat up old auto track.
So yeah… Tuesday night series starts March 24th. I’ll turn on the asshole for a second and say that if you own a track bike in Richmond and are NOT racing out there (or at least spectating) this spring then you are a poser and a disgrace to your bike… haha… Just kidding… sortof.
Braden
dammit braden you’re forcing my hand, which is good and bad. I want to race but I’m so god damn nervous about going out there and getting my ass handed to me. It took me like 3 years to try my first alleycat and then when I did it ended up being all fucking couriers and then me!
I will be there march 24th. I’m not sure I’ll race. I’ll try to psyche myself up for the it but we’ll see.
[quote=“Straws”]dammit braden you’re forcing my hand, which is good and bad. I want to race but I’m so god damn nervous about going out there and getting my ass handed to me. It took me like 3 years to try my first alleycat and then when I did it ended up being all fucking couriers and then me!
I will be there march 24th. I’m not sure I’ll race. I’ll try to psyche myself up for the it but we’ll see.[/quote]
The C race has a 49x16 gear restriction which means it’s pretty much impossible to get dropped if you have something that resembles fitness. Even a sandbagging cat5 triathlete would have a hard time riding off the front unless his ass can spin 150rpms (which I doubt anyone in a beginner race can).
Braden