IOC visits London 2012 Velodrome as cycling track is completed

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The London 2012 Velodrome was visited by IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald today as work was completed on the timber cycling track, keeping the Velodrome on target to be the first Olympic Park venue to be completed early next year.

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.

Work to install the timber cycling track began in September and has now been completed. Work is also well advanced on the external timber cladding of the Velodrome using a striking Western Red Cedar, highlighting the sustainability and architectural excellence in the venue designs.

The Velodrome was visited by Denis Oswald today as part of the IOC’s latest Coordination Commission visit to view London 2012’s preparations. He was joined by Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Chairman John Armitt, two young leaders from Tower Hamlets and Greenwich and two local riders who are looking forward to using the venue in legacy.

IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said: 'Every visit to the Olympic Park provides us with yet another impressive sign of the progress that is being made here and today's visit is no exception. As an amateur cyclist, it's fantastic to see the finished track in London's new Velodrome. I'm sure that athletes like Chris Hoy will love competing here in 2012 and that future generations of cyclists, like the two youngsters with us today, will be inspired to continue cycling thanks to the quality of the facilities that will be available to them in legacy.'

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'Completing the Velodrome track is another significant milestone, keeping the venue on course to be completed early next year and showing the good progress we continue to make across the Olympic Park. Seeing the Velodrome track in place gives us an exciting glimpse of where we hope new records will be broken in 2012 and where a new generation of cyclists will be able to take to the track after the Games.'

Seb Coe, Chair LOCOG said: 'This will be a world-class track in 2012 producing world-class performances. I’m thrilled to be visiting the venue with two enthusiastic young people who are passionate about the Games and two local cyclists who are excited about using the Velodrome after the Games. We’ve always stated we wanted to use the power of the Games to inspire young people to choose sport and hopefully today’s visit will inspire them even more.'

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said: 'Having recently seen the British Cycling team in training, I know what an exciting spectator event track cycling is. With what we hope to be the fastest cycling track in the world, the iconic London 2012 Velodrome promises to host a fantastic competition with many world record- breaking performances. The all-around seating design will help create a great atmosphere for spectators and athletes.'

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'As the finishing line is painted on the magnificent new Velodrome track, it signals we are well on schedule to deliver a fantastic Games in 2012. Providing a lasting legacy is our overriding vision for the London Games and the Velodrome will be an essential part of that. With the cycling revolution currently gripping the capital, I hope this new flagship facility will encourage many more to watch or take up this exciting sport helping to make London the best cycling city in the world.'

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, which will own and operate the Velodrome in legacy, said: 'It is clear that this will be an inspirational venue for cyclists across the country. After the Games we’ll ensure the VeloPark leaves a rich legacy for cyclists of all levels and disciplines. We are working closely with British Cycling, the host boroughs and other agencies to develop legacy plans that provide opportunities from introductory sessions through to elite training and create an all year round vibrant and sustainable cycling venue.'

London 2012 is aiming to create the world’s fastest cycling track by tailoring the track geometry and setting the temperature and environmental conditions within the venue to create record-breaking conditions. The venue has also been being designed with seating all the way round the track to create the best possible crowd atmosphere during events.

Renowned Velodrome track designer Ron Webb oversaw the design and installation of the 2012 Velodrome track which included:

a team of 26 specialist carpenters installing the cycling track over a period of eight weeks;
356 timber trusses in place, supporting 56km of surface timber laid to form the track surface;
more than 300,000 nails used to fix the track surface in place;
sustainably-sourced Siberian pine used for the track, specially selected because the trees are known for being straight and tall making them suitable for the lengths of timber required to shape the track; and the extreme Siberian climate also means the timber is very stable and will not shrink or contract in the environmental conditions of the Velodrome.

A video blog showing the construction of the Velodrome track has now been posted on the London 2012 website and can be viewed at http://www.london2012.com/videos/201...k-complete.php

With the Velodrome cycling track in place and the external timber cladding nearing completion, work is underway to install the venue's seating and complete the infield and changing rooms areas, with the venue on track to be completed early next year. 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 Lee Valley VeloPark will be owned and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The construction of the VeloPark facilities includes funding from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), Sport England, Transport for London (TfL), and the London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT).

Velodrome fact file

Velodrome facilities:

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

Velodrome design:

Distinct Velodrome roof designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track.
The 6,000 seats are split into a lower and upper tier, allowing a 360-degree concourse level in between, with a continuous ribbon of full-height windows.
The 360-degree glazed concourse level in legacy will offer spectators inside the Velodrome views out onto the rest of the Olympic Park and across the London skyline, while allowing people outside of the Velodrome views into the venue and down onto the cycling track.

Construction:

Some 48,000 cubic metres of material was excavated to create the bowl for the Velodrome, enough to fill 19 50m swimming pools.
More than 900 piles were driven up to 26m beneath the ground to complete the foundations of the venue.
More than 2,500 sections of steelwork were installed to complete the steel structure of the Velodrome.
The cable-net roof is 12,000sq m in size and uses 16km of cabling.
A team of 26 specialist carpenters installed 356 vertical timber support trusses and 56km of surface timber to form the Velodrome track.
The track surface was built from a sustainably-sourced Siberian pine and fixed in place using over 300,000 nails.

Sustainability elements:

The building has been designed to be lightweight and efficient to reflect the efficient design of a bicycle.
The use of abundant daylight through strategically positioned roof lights reduces need for artificial lighting, and natural ventilation is achieved through openings in the external timber cladding of the venue.
Water saving fittings and collection of rainwater for reuse in building are built into design to help reduce water consumption.
Compact design minimises energy consumed to heat the main arena.
Lightweight cable-net roof structure weighs 30kg/m2 compared to 65kg/m2 for the Beijing Velodrome, helping create a highly efficient building.

Notes to editors:

The latest images and timelapse footage of the Velodrome can be downloaded from http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePat...av=pr143748449

2. The Velodrome webcam can be viewed at http://www.london2012.com/webcams/ve...e-internal.php.

The Velodrome is being constructed by ISG who were also responsible for replacing the track at the Manchester Velodrome where the British team securing nine gold medals at the World Cycling Championships in 2008

The Velodrome timber cycling track has been designed and installed by renowned Velodrome track designer Ron Webb. Ron Webb is a former Australian cycling champion now residing in England, and has helped deliver more than 60 cycling tracks to date, including the Velodrome tracks for the Sydney and Athens Games, and the Manchester Velodrome track.

The design team for the VeloPark is made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP and Grant Associates, who were appointed in 2007 following a design competition judged by leading names from the world of architecture and design as well as Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.

The Lee Valley Park Regional Authority will own, manage and fund the London 2012 White Water Canoe Centre just north of the M25, the VeloPark, and Tennis Centre and Hockey Centre on the Olympic Park in legacy, ensuring all four are well used by a variety of target groups from beginners to elite athletes with extensive community use, outreach and sports development programmes. They will join the other regional sports venues the Authority owns including the award winning Lee Valley Athletics Centre to create a chain of sporting excellence along the 26 mile long Lee Valley Regional Park. The Park attracts more that four million visitors a year to its 10,000 acres of sport and leisure activities, heritage sites, gardens, nature reserves and riverside trails.

There will be 10 gold medals to be won, 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.

– Ends –

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

As it heads towards its £2bn budget for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games, LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now nineteen domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, GSK, Gymnova, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, Next, The Nielsen Company, Populous, Technogym, Ticketmaster and Trident.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games Partner, Sainsbury’s.

The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog.

Source
www.london2012.com