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Rationale for Velodrome Site Hits the wall

Early rationale (Nov. 1/08) for siting the velodrome in Hamilton:

"He said that local expertise and the efficiency of shared facilities at a stadium/velodrome were the underlying logic to the twinning.

He pointed to office space, athletes services and sportsmedicine expertise that could be shared if cycling, track and field, soccer and football were located together."


Pan Am velodrome? Local bid organizers pitch cycling centre for 2015 games


The Hamilton Spectator

(Nov 1, 2008)

Hamilton's 2015 Pan Am Games wish list is growing longer with a cycling velodrome that would be twinned with a stadium.

A 3,000- to 5,000-seat indoor facility costing about $20 million could make Steeltown the big wheel of track events in eastern Canada and the United States.

Tourism Hamilton's David Adames said he expects a feasibility study to conclude erecting Canada's only international standard track will also provide lots of opportunities for recreational athletes.

Adames, who is the city's contact with the provincial Pan Am secretariat, said the velodrome makes sense in light of the National Cycling Centre at McMaster, a legacy of the 2003 Road World Cycling Championships.

He said that local expertise and the efficiency of shared facilities at a stadium/velodrome were the underlying logic to the twinning.

He pointed to office space, athletes services and sportsmedicine expertise that could be shared if cycling, track and field, soccer and football were located together.

Andrew Iler, president of the cycling centre at Mac, believes a feasibility study/business plan expected soon will support a velodrome to both produce world-class athletes and provide recreational opportunities.

"It's important any facility maximize community use, so it would have to be open to everyone, and the infield would be available for basketball, volleyball, badminton and floor hockey, activities that wouldn't disturb cyclists."

Iler pointed to London, Ontario's Forest City Velodrome, which attracts recreational riders from Detroit to Toronto.

But that facility is not suitable for the Pan Ams or a world championship. None in Canada is.

Rob Jones, editor of canadian-cyclist.com, said a velodrome with an BMX site alongside would really maximize community use.

"And as the Brits have shown lately, at the highest level, when you get a cross-pollination of track, road and BMX, you can win a lot of Olympic medals."

He said Manchester's velodrome has spawned several Olympic champs.

The velodrome could be on the table when Adames lays out the status of Hamilton's Games' proposal to city councillors Nov. 10.

In addition to a 30,000-seat stadium, Hamilton has already identified improvements to Copps Coliseum and upgrades to McMaster facilities in its wish list.

Toronto 2015, as the southern Ontario bid is called, will have to sift through the wishes of a dozen municipalities to identify which new facilities are needed and where they should go.

That needs to be sorted out by April, when the 2015 bid book will be presented to the Pan American Sports Association.

The Pan Am Games consists of 42 member countries and 28 sports.

The vote to name the 2015 host will come next fall after the site of the 2016 Olympics is announced. Lima, Peru and Bogota, Colombia are also bidding for the Pan Ams.

jkernaghan@thespec.com

905-526-3422


http://thespec.com/article/459357

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