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London 2012 Velodrome Praised by World's Best

TUESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2012


The London 2012 Velodrome has been praised by riders as the UCI Track Cycling World Cup presented by Samsung concluded yesterday with an overall victory for Great Britain who won five gold medals and broke two world records. Download images from the event here

The atmosphere created by the thousands of fans who filled the London 2012 venue was labelled “incredible” by British rider Geraint Thomas with the Velodrome track hailed as “really fast” by Canadian athlete Tara Whitten and “a wonderful track to ride on” by Britain’s Victoria Pendleton. The UCI also praised the “quality facilities”, “excellent arrangements” and “unique atmosphere” in the venue.

340 riders from 48 nations and 18 trade teams competed in the four day competition where teams rode competitively in the Velodrome for the first time. The Great Britain team stole the show with two world records for Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Dani King in the women’s team pursuit and Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish in the team sprint. Joanna Rowsell also won a gold medal in the women’s pursuit on Saturday before the electrifying atmosphere hit another level when Sir Chris Hoy won his second gold medal on Sunday in the men’s sprint following his win in the Keirin.

As well as being a World Cup and the penultimate qualifier for London 2012, the event was key in testing London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) operations ahead of the Games. Key testing elements included testing the track, athlete flows in the venue, results and timing systems, sport presentation, as well the 1000-strong workforce and volunteers.

Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport said of the event: "It was thrilling to see the Velodrome in full-swing with fantastic sport, thousands of spectators and a live TV audience. The UCI Track Cycling World Cup has given us a glimpse of the atmosphere and excitement we can expect in the Velodrome this summer. That said, we have learnt a lot from the staging of this event and will continue to speak to the teams, athletes and UCI to gain valuable feedback as we make our final preparations ahead of the Games. Finally I would like to thank the UCI, UK Sport and our sponsors whose support enabled us to stage the event”

Ed Clancy, Great Britain team rider said of the Velodrome: “The place was alive in there, it was pretty special. We’ve never experienced an atmosphere like that and I am sure the low roof helps.”

Pat McQuaid, President of the UCI said: “The final assessment of the competition held in the British capital was very positive. The quality of the facilities that will host the Olympic events, the excellent arrangements made by LOCOG and the unique atmosphere of this weekend’s competitions in the Velodrome give the best possible guarantee of success for the six days that will be devoted to the Olympic track programme.”

Liz Nicholl, CEO of UK Sport, which backed the event through its National Lottery funded World Class Events Programme, said: “The UCI Track Cycling World Cup hosted at the Olympic Velodrome in London was a great success; a fantastic benchmark performance from the cyclists and their support team, a valuable test of this new world class venue, and a wonderful showcase of what the British public can look forward to this summer, adding to the excitement that continues to build across the UK as the home Olympic and Paralympic Games approaches.”

The iconic Velodrome, with its distinct double-curved roof which has been designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track, will host Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events on the 250 metre track during the Games from 2-7 August. After the Games the Velodrome will form part of a facility which will include a BMX Track, one-mile long road cycle circuit, 6km of off-road mountain bike tracks and storage for over 300 bikes. It will also include a café and a 360 degree concourse level offering views over the Olympic Park and the London skyline.

The UCI Track Cycling World Cup presented by Samsung is supported by UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme. The results can be viewed on the UCI Track Cycling World Cup presented by Samsung website

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

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