Manchester Velodrome
Encyclopedia
Manchester Velodrome is an indoor cycle-racing track or velodrome
in Manchester
, northwest England
. It opened in September 1994 and is the leading indoor Olympic
-standard track in the United Kingdom
. It houses the National Cycling Centre and British Cycling
. The Velodrome is situated next to the National Indoor BMX Arena
, which opened in August 2011.
It hosted the track cycling
in the 2002 Commonwealth Games
, and the UCI
world championships in 1996
, 2000
and 2008
.
's 1996 and 2000 hour record
s and the 4000 metre team pursuit
record set by the Great Britain
men's team at the 2008 World Championships.
The track is 250 metres long. Its bankings reach 42 degrees in the middle. The track is as steep at the top as it is on the black (racing) line. On 21 May 2007 the velodrome closed to be re-surfaced. The old track was relaid with Siberian pine. It reopened on 16 July 2007, and is now considered smoother to ride.
The series runs on a Saturday night, with all sprint and endurance events. Internationals compete with British stars and up-and-coming talent. Some riders have retired at Revolution events, rewarded with a retirement presentation. A Future Stars competition has races for riders usually 15 or 16 to test their sprint and endurance. Olympic riders Jason Kenny
and Steven Burke
came up through this series.
performed at the velodrome as part of the 2009 Manchester International Festival
. As they performed Tour de France, four members of the British Olympic cycling team entered and rode laps of the track.
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, northwest England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It opened in September 1994 and is the leading indoor Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
-standard track in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It houses the National Cycling Centre and British Cycling
British Cycling
British Cycling is the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man...
. The Velodrome is situated next to the National Indoor BMX Arena
National Indoor BMX Arena
The National Indoor BMX Arena is a indoor BMX racing stadium in Sportcity, Manchester, UK. The new arena is situated next to the Manchester Velodrome and the buildings share a common entrance as part of the National Cycling Centre. The stadium cost £19 million, seats 2,000 spectators and is home to...
, which opened in August 2011.
It hosted the track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
in the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
, and the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
world championships in 1996
1996 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 1996 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Manchester, United Kingdom from August 28 to September 1, 1996. Twelve events were contested, eight for the men and four for the women....
, 2000
2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Manchester, United Kingdom from October 26 to October 30, 2000.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
and 2008
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
The 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pursuit being the only addition from the 2007...
.
Velodrome
The FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed velodrome has a reputation for speed. By 30 March 2008, more than 15 world records had been set there, including Chris BoardmanChris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
's 1996 and 2000 hour record
Hour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
s and the 4000 metre team pursuit
Team pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
record set by the Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
men's team at the 2008 World Championships.
The track is 250 metres long. Its bankings reach 42 degrees in the middle. The track is as steep at the top as it is on the black (racing) line. On 21 May 2007 the velodrome closed to be re-surfaced. The old track was relaid with Siberian pine. It reopened on 16 July 2007, and is now considered smoother to ride.
Revolution Series
The Revolution Series opened in 2003 to build on well-attended events such as the world championships and World Cup meetings and provide more regular events. There were four over the winter. They built good crowds. The seventh, in 2005, sold all the seats with further fans standing. The first official sell-out was Revolution 14.The series runs on a Saturday night, with all sprint and endurance events. Internationals compete with British stars and up-and-coming talent. Some riders have retired at Revolution events, rewarded with a retirement presentation. A Future Stars competition has races for riders usually 15 or 16 to test their sprint and endurance. Olympic riders Jason Kenny
Jason Kenny
Jason Francis Kenny MBE is an English track cyclist, specialising in the individual and team sprints. After winning multiple World and European Junior titles in 2006 and achieving medals in the under 23 European championships in 2007, Kenny was selected ahead of Ross Edgar to compete for Great...
and Steven Burke
Steven Burke
Steven James Burke is a British track and road cyclist who rides for the . He represented Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics, beating his pre-Olympics personal best in the individual pursuit by 11 seconds to take the bronze medal...
came up through this series.
Cycling For All
Fans can ride the boards. Sessions every week run from beginners up to serious training. A taster session involves basic training and an hour riding the track.Other events
On 2 July 2009 KraftwerkKraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
performed at the velodrome as part of the 2009 Manchester International Festival
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
. As they performed Tour de France, four members of the British Olympic cycling team entered and rode laps of the track.
Notable events
An list of notable events which Manchester Velodrome has hosted:- 1996 UCI Track Cycling World Championships1996 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 1996 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Manchester, United Kingdom from August 28 to September 1, 1996. Twelve events were contested, eight for the men and four for the women....
- 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships2000 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place in Manchester, United Kingdom from October 26 to October 30, 2000.-Medals table:-Medal summary:-External links:**...
- 2002 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
- 2003/2004 Revolution Season 1
- 2004 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics2004 UCI Track Cycling World Cup ClassicsThe 2004 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season ran from 17 February 2004 to 16 May 2004. The World Cup is organised by the UCI.- Men :- Women :-References:*****...
(Round 3) - 2004-2005 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics (Round 3)
- 2004/2005 Revolution Season 2
- 2005-2006 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics (Round 2)
- 2005/2006 Revolution Season 3
- 2006/2007 Revolution Season 4
- 2006–2007 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics2006–2007 UCI Track Cycling World Cup ClassicsThe 2006–2007 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season began on 17 November 2006 and completed on 25 February 2007...
(Round 4) - 2007/2008 Revolution Season 5
- 2008–2009 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics2008–2009 UCI Track Cycling World Cup ClassicsThe 2008–2009 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season ran from 31 October 2008 to 18 February 2009. The World Cup is organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale....
(Round 1) - 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships2008 UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships were the World Championship for track cycling. They took place at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, United Kingdom from 26 to 30 March 2008. Eighteen events were scheduled; the women's team pursuit being the only addition from the 2007...
- 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup ClassicsThe 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season runs from 30 October 2009 to 24 January 2010...
(Round 1) - 2010–2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics2010–2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup ClassicsThe 2010–2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is a multi race tournament over a season of track cycling. The season runs from 2 December 2010 to 20 February 2011...
(Round 4)