Manchester Velodrome facts for kids
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Manchester Velodrome
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Panorama image of the Manchester Velodrome
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| Location | Stuart Street Manchester England M11 4DQ |
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| Coordinates | 53°29′10″N 2°11′31″W / 53.486°N 2.192°W |
| Owner | City of Manchester |
| Operator | Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Field size | 250 metre track |
| Surface | Siberian Pine |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 14 September 1994 |
| Architect | FaulknerBrowns Architects |
| Services engineer | R.V. Webb (Velodrome track) |
| Tenants | |
| British Cycling Manchester Wheelers' Club Major events hosted 2002 Commonwealth Games UCI Track Cycling World Championships (1996, 2000, 2008) British National Track Championships Revolution Cycling series |
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The Manchester Velodrome is an awesome indoor track for bike racing in Manchester, England. It opened in 1994 and is a special place for cyclists. This velodrome is part of the National Cycling Centre.
It has been the main home for British Cycling since it opened. This is when Great Britain started to become super good at track cycling in big competitions like the World Championships and the Olympics. Many famous cyclists have trained and raced here.
The Manchester Velodrome is often called the main reason for Britain's success in both track and road cycling. Cycling Weekly magazine even called it the "beating heart" of British cycling's journey to the top!
For 18 years, it was the only indoor track of its kind in the United Kingdom. Then, the Lee Valley VeloPark was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Manchester Velodrome is one of the busiest in the world. Both professional cyclists and people from the public use it almost all day, every day.
This cool venue hosted track cycling for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It's part of the Sportcity area, right next to the City of Manchester Stadium. That stadium hosted the 2002 Games too and is now home to Manchester City F.C. The velodrome has also hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Championships three times. It also holds regular Revolution track cycling events and Six-day racing. A National Indoor BMX Arena opened next door in 2011. You can easily get to the Velodrome by Metrolink tram.
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The Manchester Velodrome: A Cycling Hub
The Manchester Velodrome was created by Sport England, Manchester City Council, and British Cycling. They all saw that the UK needed a top-notch cycling facility. This would help British track cycling get much better.
Money for the velodrome came from the government and other sports groups. The City of Manchester owns the land, and a group called the Eastlands Trust manages the centre. Some people worried the velodrome wouldn't be used much at first. But those worries were wrong! It's very popular with the public and has been key to Britain's cycling success.
Inside the Velodrome: Speed and Design
FaulknerBrowns Architects designed the velodrome. It quickly became known as a very fast track for cyclists. The roof has a huge arch, 122 metres long and weighing 200 tonnes. This means spectators get a clear view without any pillars in the way. The whole roof structure weighs about 600 tonnes.
The track itself is 250 metres long. Its banked turns are very steep, reaching 42 degrees in the middle! This steepness helps riders go really fast. In 2007, the track was closed for a short time to get a new surface. It was resurfaced with special Siberian Pine wood, costing £400,000. When it reopened, cyclists said it felt even smoother to ride on.
Amazing Records Set Here
Many world records have been set at the Manchester Velodrome. By 2008, more than 15 world records had been broken here.
One famous record was Chris Boardman's "hour record" in 1996 and again in 2000. In the hour record, a cyclist tries to ride as far as possible in one hour. The Great Britain men's team also set a 4000-metre team pursuit record here in 2008.
Chris Boardman's 2000 record was special. He used a bike similar to one used by Eddy Merckx in 1972. Boardman rode 49.444 km in an hour, just beating Merckx's 1972 record of 49.431 km. After this amazing achievement, Boardman retired from racing.
The velodrome is a very popular place for cyclists of all levels. Beginner sessions and practice times are often booked up weeks in advance. In 2011, the National Indoor BMX Arena opened right next to the velodrome. There were also plans for a mountain bike trail nearby. This would be the first of its kind in the UK. The goal was to help Britain become as good at mountain biking as it is at track cycling.
Fun Events and Competitions
The Revolution Series: Future Stars of Cycling
The Revolution Series started in 2003. It was created to offer more regular cycling events, building on the excitement of world championships. The first events in 2003–04 attracted good crowds. By 2005, one event sold out all its seats!
These events feature exciting sprint and endurance races on Saturday nights. International stars compete alongside British champions and rising young talents. Some famous riders have even chosen to retire at Revolution events. There's also a "Future Stars" competition for young riders aged 15 or 16. This gives them a chance to test their skills. Olympic champions like Jason Kenny and Steven Burke started their careers in this series. Since 2013, Revolution events have also taken place at the London and Glasgow Velodromes.
Other Cool Events
On July 2, 2009, the famous music group Kraftwerk performed at the velodrome. This was part of the Manchester International Festival. While they played their song Tour de France, four British Olympic cyclists rode laps on the track!
Memorable Cycling Events
The Manchester Velodrome has hosted many important cycling events over the years. Here are some of the most memorable:
- 1996 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 2000 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 2002 Commonwealth Games
- 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- Many UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships (for older riders)
- Many rounds of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- Numerous Revolution Series events
- The 2019 British National Track Championships
- The 2024 British Cycling National Track Championships
See also
In Spanish: Velódromo de Mánchester para niños
- List of Commonwealth Games venues
- List of cycling tracks and velodromes
- National Indoor BMX Arena
