chas58

Edit:
Just when chicago is at risk of losing its two velodromes, Detroit builds its second velodrome, this one for year round use.

Look like it will not be done in time for the scheduled Madison championship for 2017, but will be done by 2018.
Source: Velodrome to host track championships in 2017, '18 | Crain's Detroit Business

queerpunk

That's funny because USA Cycling says that the National Track Championships are going to be July 31 through Aug 6, in Carson.

I guess this is just the rumored Madison National Championships, which makes me wonder why it's three days and who thinks that riders are going to go to Detroit to race one race on an unbuilt 166m track.

chas58

I know, it is easy to complain. The first site for this track was totally scrapped because of that type of attitude. It takes perseverance and grit to punch through the whining and create something positive for this sport. Most efforts in the US fail, as we have seen.

We talk about the dearth of new velodromes and the difficulty getting people into the sport. A new velodrome in the center of a large city is something we could all stand to support if we want this sport to be popular in the US.

queerpunk

It's easy to complain? I didn't complain. I wondered - because there was an announcement that was low on details and contradicts USA Cycling's National Championship Schedule. If I wanted to complain, I would have said something very different.

But thanks for attributing the failure of a velodrome project to my "type of attitude," and for conflating my skepticism about splitting Nats (tried recently, abandoned for good reason) and scheduling a single National-Level event on an unbuilt track with not supporting the building of new velodromes.

Personally, I think most velodrome proposals fail because it's really hard to secure the relationships, priorities, and funding needed to build niche sports infrastructure. Not because somebody on the internet - who, by the way, had the perseverance and grit to be an active board member of a velodrome for several years and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to prevent the premature closure of one of the country's best velodromes - raised a question about an event, and pointed out the simple reality that most high-level track racers don't budget for two trips to the National Championships. Which - again - has been tried before.

DMC707

A 166? how steep?

Sheesh --- I remember the Vandedrome --- you'd get dizzy on that thing after a while

chas58

Just like the new ones in Cleveland and Chicago. Its a good size for the Madison (not so much for some other events). If people around here want to get dizzy, we just go to the Forrest City Velodrome across the river in Canada (133m).

Could be good for the sport to have the countries second covered velodrome, although Colorado's has a roof too. The more year round velodromes, the better.

Baby Puke

So is this just the Madison Championships? If so that makes some sense as many (most?) of the euro six day tracks are 166m.

queerpunk

apparently, the format is:

"It will be a three day event - thursday evening 1 Mile Madison Pursuit to seed the heats. Friday night heats for both men and women, Sat night final heats. All riders - ride all three days. The goal is to have at least 20 men teams and 12 women teams. 2018 goal is to double the number of teams - a true Madison tournament. Each team must represent a velodrome - more than one team can attend from each track - start money/travel support will be available. More details will be coming soon! Riders must have experience on steep tracks or come early to train. By the way, the Madison, invented in 1899, was held during the winter. The 1920's pro track tour was from oct - march."

chas58

She has finally risen...

carleton

1) The title is misleading. It's the Madison National Championships.
2) This is awesome.
3) Is this still happening on schedule? The event is 6 weeks out and the track doesn't seem to be up, much less tested and whatnot.

chas58

Construction NEVER goes on schedule. It might be complete by December, but not October.

Madison championships probably will be at our current velodrome (IVBP, about 20 miles north of this).

queerpunk

Rumor has it that "Madison Nationals" will be in Colorado Springs next month, since this travesty has slowly unfurled, but nothing official has been announced.

They've been all "stay tuned for an announcement" for weeks, but who the hell can commit to a race when you don't even know what state it's gonna be in?

This is a real embarrassment.

700wheel

USA Cycling website shows it now being held at Colorado Springs on Friday, 20 October.

700wheel

Schedule for the National Madison Champs here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/USACWeb/for...k-Schedule.pdf
8 men and 8 women entered as of 1 pm mdt today.

southernfox

Are non-citizens allowed to enter (even though we can't win the title)?

700wheel

I do not have a current USAC rule book but the 2014 book (rule 7B!) says that contestants in elite national championships should:

• Hold a USAC license
• Be a USA citizen or be a member of US armed forces.

Categories and entrants are shown here
https://www.usacycling.org/myusac/in...2922&year=2017

A non citizen could probably enter the non-championship events listed (keirin and miss-and-out).

I believe the CS Velodrome has an inflatable cover now for the winter.