Project Aims to Bring Velodrome to North Florida
North Florida cycling may see its own version of the “Field of Dreams” built somewhere near Gainesville. That is, if the newly formed North Florida Velodrome Project has anything to say about it. The group was conceived by GCC club member Robert Black, an eight time Masters National Champion in Pursuit and Team Pursuit, and current national record holder in three Team Pursuit categories. It has caught on a quick following from some of the club’s most active members and track racers.
“We certainly won’t have any problem filling out a governing board. There is a lot of interest in this project,” says Black. “The trick is to convince community leaders and donors that the velodrome is not just for bike racers and lycra-clad riders.” Black notes that the space can be used to teach kids how to ride and compete on bikes away from automobile and pedestrian traffic. A kid’s program produced adult World Sprint Champion Marty Nothstein in rural Trexlertown, Pennsylvania--the only U. S. world sprint champion in recent memory.
GCC Board member Jim Wilson has used the velodrome at HPV (Human-Powered Vehicle) events. In Ft. Lauderdale, the Brian Picolo velodrome is a popular destination for recreational and competitive blade skaters. “There is also a lot of downtime where triathletes and road riders could come test skills, speed, and equipment,” says Black.
GCC folk can go to the Me page and sign up for the “Velodrome Boosters” interest group to show support and have a little more access to internal information. Getting sponsors and donors is the most obvious obstacle to building a velodrome. Asking for public support from governing bodies, collegiate athletic associations, and local corporations will begin the process of fund-raising. And Black has a few tricks up his sleeve as well, including tentative plans to work with a velodrome designer who may want to showcase a novel track material at a below-market rate.
The idea of building a velodrome in Gainesville is not new, says GCC Advocacy Director and former Category 2 track racer James Thompson, another GCC partner in the Velodrome Project. “Team Florida [UF Cycling] Coach Dan Larson was a nationally respected track racer and got our track program to thrive. He lit the match on this idea for a lot of us locals, since we were driving ten hours to train and race in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale, no track nearby, and paying our way to live near T-Town [Trexlertown] to race with international fields in the Summer. No team worked harder or spent more time and money to earn its national medals.” Thompson and others will be trying to convince nearby colleges and universities to support the track as an affordable medal sport. “Instant National Champions . . . just add one part velodrome to one part University of Florida Cycling Team.”
So what would a North Florida track look like? In the current plans, it will likely be aluminum plank with a special finish to make it less slippery and more accessible to young people and new riders. Black has achieved a track stand (stationary position) on this grippy metal surface at a 45 degree angle, pretty much impossible on any other surface. Outdoor wood tracks have come under fire after the Frisco, Texas Superdrome debacle--the surface bubbled and cracked from poor construction against the elements. Black has secured plans at no charge from a velodrome builder in Colorado that could be laid over any (hopefully donated) local land. The best combination of accessibility and affordability would likely come in around 250 meters on a fairly round track. Most American velodromes (built in the 1970s through 1990s) are typically 333M with both shallow banking and longer straightways for spectator-oriented finishes, but cost is a big factor.
Initially, this affordable velodrome might not have many spectator amenities, but intelligent phased designing would allow for future add-ons. For Black, getting the track here in the first place is initially more important than generating crowds. People will drive for hours to train and race on a velodrome, so we have to think of this thing serving Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Orlando, not just Gainesville. Four new tracks have been built across the country in the last two years, with several more deep into the funding stage.
Let’s build it, and see if they will come.