London Velopark

The London Velopark is a velodrome to be constructed in Leyton in East, London in England. It will serve as one of the 'Big Five' permanent Olympic venues for the 2012 Games.London 2012: [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2007/February/2007-02-15-10-31.htm Cycle venue design set in motion] 15 February 2007]

The funding for the Velopark was confirmed in February 2005London 2012: [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/february/2005-02-15-17-15.htm Green light for London Velopark plans] 15 February 2005] and the project was scheduled to go ahead whether or not London's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics was successful. [ [http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_946.pdf Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission on the London bid] ]

However as London's bid for the Games was successful the velodrome will be built with a spectator capacity of 6,000 rather than 1,500 seats that it would otherwise have had. The other facility at the site which will be used for the Olympics is the outdoor BMX racing track, which will also have a spectator capacity of 6,000.

The Velopark will be situated at the northern end of London's Olympic Park. After the Games it will be extended further northwards, with the legacy road cycling circuit straddling the A12 and extending into the old Eton Manor site, where a mountain biking area will be located. [London 2012: [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/press+room/releases/2006/December/2006-12-14-11-29.htm Demolition work starts on Olympic Park site] 14 December 2006]

In addition to the two Olympic venues the London Velopark will feature a 1.6km road racing circuit, and a cross-country mountain bike course. However the road racing at the Olympics will take place in Regent's Park and Hampstead Heath and the surrounding streets, and the mountain biking(originally planned for the Weald Country Park in Essex but scrapped for being insufficiently challenging) will be held east of London near Hadleigh Castle in Essex.

The Velopark is scheduled to be completed in 2011 at an estimated cost of £37 million. The velodrome will also be used for the 2012 Paralympics. [British Paralympic Association: [http://www.paralympics.org.uk/show_news.asp?section=000100010008&itemid=1638&itemTitle=London+2012+unveil+Paralympic+venue+plan London 2012 unveil Paralympic venue plan] November 2006]

On 12 July 2007 the Olympic Delivery Authority announced the selection of the design team for the Velopark, comprising Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP, and Grant Associates. [London 2012: [http://main.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2007/July/2007-07-12-13-10.htm Lasting cycling legacy at heart of VeloPark designs] 12 July 2007]

The London Development Agency (LDA) have funded a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at the Hog Hill cycle track, costing £5m. This replaces the former Eastway cycle facilities sited within the London Olympic Park. The London Borough of Redbridge will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy London Velopark. Work is underway to identify an operator of Hog Hill beyond 2012. [ [http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/london_velodrome.htm "2012 London Olympics – VeloPark"] ("e-Architects") accessed 19 August 2008]

References

External links

* Lee Valley Park: [http://www.leevalleypark.org.uk/en/content/cms/olympics/velopark/velopark.aspx The Velodrome and BMX Course]
* Cycling Weekly: [http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Eastway_savaged_and_offroad_circuit_killed_off_article_108761.html Eastway Savaged and Off-Road Circuit Killed Off] 5 February 2007
* Cycling Weekly: [http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/50m_for_cycling_but_Velopark_too__small_article_109543.html £50m for Cycling – But Olympic Velopark Too Small] 13 February 2007
* Cycling Weekly: [http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/LONDON_ALLIANCE_OBJECT_TO_VELOPARK_article_110388.html London Alliance Object to Velopark Plans] 20 February 2007
* London Borough of Newham: [http://www.newham.com/2012Games/AboutThe2012Games/TheOlympicPark/Cycling+and+the+London+Games.htm Cycling and the London Games]
* London Development Agency: [http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.838 Plans for new London ‘VeloPark’ announced] ,15 February 2005
* London Development Agency: [http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1117 Search is on for Olympic Velopark designer and construction advisors] 27 May 2005
* British Cycling: [http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/news/2003/december/12_eastway.shtml The London Olympic Bid and Eastway Cycle Circuit] December 2003
* London Assembly: [http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/mayors_report/2005Docs/mayors_report50_mar05.pdf Fiftieth Mayor’s Report to the Assembly] 16 March 2005
* BikeBiz: [http://www.bikebiz.com/Eastway-road-and-MTB-circuit-is-safe-says-British-Cycling Eastway road and MTB circuit is safe, says British Cycling] 19 December 2003
* BikeBiz: [http://www.bikebiz.com/Eastway-cyclists-get-a-new-site Eastway cyclists get a new site] 6 October 2003
* cyclingnews.com: [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/feb05/feb16news London cycling complex announced] 16 February 2005
* Singletrack: [http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=1221 Eastway mountain biking still at risk from Olympic plans] 16 December 2003