Olympic Cycling

[Bigga]

A very good question. There answer is that Manchester is 'too far away from London', try teling that to the equestrian teams who just competed in Hong Kong rather than Beijing. It's basically another North/South thing, they want everything to be based in or around London because London is all thta matters, forget whether or not it might be detremental to a successful team, jut as long as it's in the south everything's fine.

I held off from posting about this yesterday afternoon, because I was livid at the fact the government thinks everything revolves around London. I didn't want to rant about the South. It p*sses me right off! I don't think I've really heard, on any great level from news or commentators, how Sportcity has been the PINNACLE facility for the whole cycling team. Now, they just shrug their shoulders and say 'meh!' to that fact.

First, we have the Super Casino vetoed, the stupid call for Northerners to migrate South(!!) and now this. Do you think Manchester, amongst others, is seen as a 'threat' to London's billing as a 'great city'?

 

[Wheelsy]

You guys are caning us. Since when were Poms good at sport?

 

[mcfc_ms]

You guys are caning us. Since when were Poms good at sport?

Most of our medals have come from events sitting down. We really are just lazy bastards :P

 

[Wheelsy]

And all of ours have come from swimming, sailing, or rowing.

Put us on land, and we're fucked!

 

[Daves boy Saul]

A very good question. There answer is that Manchester is 'too far away from London', try teling that to the equestrian teams who just competed in Hong Kong rather than Beijing. It's basically another North/South thing, they want everything to be based in or around London because London is all thta matters, forget whether or not it might be detremental to a successful team, jut as long as it's in the south everything's fine.

I held off from posting about this yesterday afternoon, because I was livid at the fact the government thinks everything revolves around London. I didn't want to rant about the South. It p*sses me right off! I don't think I've really heard, on any great level from news or commentators, how Sportcity has been the PINNACLE facility for the whole cycling team. Now, they just shrug their shoulders and say 'meh!' to that fact.

First, we have the Super Casino vetoed, the stupid call for Northerners to migrate South(!!) and now this. Do you think Manchester, amongst others, is seen as a 'threat' to London's billing as a 'great city'?

They will travel to Salford Uniteds ground for the football though i bet, and to the back and beyond that is Newcastle but wont host the cycling in our velodrome. Dont make sense to me.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

our velodrome's a superb facility but the spectator capacity is limited to say the least. With the success of the GB team it's envisaged that a bigger track and bigger specatator facility is needed. The Manchester track is not as big as the Beijing one.

I'd love it if the GBteam wanted to stay put in Manchester though. The more velodromes we have in the UK the better in my opinion.

ps. The 1 mistake they made was pairing a fresh Mark Cavendish with a nackered Bradley Wiggins in the Madison event. Cav's had an awesome Tour de France and was well up for a gold but ended up being 8th due to Wiggo being bolloxed. :( Should have taken another fresh rider to pair with Cav for the Madison.

 

[stonerblue]

The Velodrome in Manchester must have something to do with it. And the team "mentality" that they seem to have.

Yeah, they reckon the Manchester velodrome is one of the fastest in the World and that aids their preparations, it's the national arena. However, with London 2012 coming they're building a new one in London, which no doubt will be shit in comparison and will take over as the national arena, seeing the Manchester one being shut down and demolished for apartments most likely.

Yep, it's fuckin priceless innit?

By far the most succesful team for years, who all say the velodrome is the reason for their success.
Cost of new london velodrome estimated at £100m.

"The games will be good for the whole country, not just london." Fuck off Seb Coe.

 

[mat]

The Velodrome in Manchester must have something to do with it. And the team "mentality" that they seem to have.

Yeah, they reckon the Manchester velodrome is one of the fastest in the World and that aids their preparations, it's the national arena. However, with London 2012 coming they're building a new one in London, which no doubt will be shit in comparison and will take over as the national arena, seeing the Manchester one being shut down and demolished for apartments most likely.

Yep, it's fuckin priceless innit?

By far the most succesful team for years, who all say the velodrome is the reason for their success.
Cost of new london velodrome estimated at £100m.

"The games will be good for the whole country, not just london." Fuck off Seb Coe.

They will benefit him and his tory mates (£££££££). He's already saying the London games are "more about the legacy of the games rather than a spectacle". Which translated from tory means as cheap as possible with us trousering the most money. I can see London 2012 making Atalanta look like the best games ever.And despite everything being in Larnden they'll expect us unlucky northerners to pay for it.

 

[interpol]

From yesterdays MEN...

BRITAIN'S Olympic heroes will snub a new £80 million cycling centre being built for London's 2012 games to remain in Manchester.

Team GB's cycling champs will keep the Manchester Velodrome as the sport's home - widely credited as key to their success in Beijing, British Cycling Federation bosses told the M.E.N.

The Greater Manchester-based team, which has trained for the Games at the centre, in Eastlands, has triumphed with a clutch of 13 track cycling medals - including seven golds. Salford Quays-based cyclist Chris Hoy yesterday became the first Briton in a century to collect a trio of golds in a single Olympic games - the last being Oldham swimmer Henry Taylor in 1908.

The British Cycling Federation has now allayed fears that the national team would abandon their headquarters at Manchester's 14-year-old, 4,000-seater Velodrome in favour of a new, 6,000-seater state-of-the-art centre being built in the capital for the 2012 games.

And bosses at the east Manchester centre say the Olympic success has triggered a surge in members of the public wanting to take up the sport there with interest `through the roof' and setting phones ringing.

A spokesman for the British Cycling Federation said: "There are two really good reasons why we won't be moving. Firstly, there won't be sufficient office space in the new Velodrome to house all the staff who work in Manchester. Secondly, everybody on the track programme trains on the road and there are some really good areas in and around Manchester where the riders can get the conditions they need. That just wouldn't be the case in London.

Headquarters

"We're not saying the riders won't use the new Velodrome. They would be mad not to before the Olympics, indeed, before Beijing the squad went down to train at the track in Newport. But Manchester will remain our main headquarters for the Olympic and Paralympic squads."

Britain's champion cyclists have taken up residence across Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport and Oldham - to allow them to train together at the Velodrome. Only two of ten track cycling events in Beijing finished without a British medallist.

Manchester council is now planning a massive homecoming party for the athletes, while it is understood Bolton council are considering a special welcome for Jason Kenny, who lives in the town and took silver in the men's individual sprint and triumphed alongside Hoy and Stockport's Jamie Staff in the men's team sprint.

But it is not just the Olympians who have a future in Manchester's cycling centrepiece. Velodrome manager Jarl Walsh said: "This sport is not just for gold medalists like Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton - it's for the local community too. We have a popular programme for school groups and a community club run by volunteers. Jason Queally, who won a gold in 2000, started in one of our taster sessions.

"The value of the Velodrome is it's a real melting pot. Pensioners, schoolchildren and the elite cyclists all use the same facilities. The kids will be getting ready when the Olympians pass through. Sometimes they might be cycling alongside them."

Duty manager Steve Searle added: "People have been phoning to book sessions and saying their child wants to ride in the 2012 Olympics."

The Velodrome will host the opening UCI Track World Cup event in the autumn. Work is expected to start on its London counterpart next year and is due to be completed in 2011, but London 2012 said no one was available to answer questions because their spokesmen were all in Beijing.

Love to believe it, but what betting that funding for the Manchester venue is suddenly retracted when the London one opens.

 

[mat]

From yesterdays MEN...

BRITAIN'S Olympic heroes will snub a new £80 million cycling centre being built for London's 2012 games to remain in Manchester.

Team GB's cycling champs will keep the Manchester Velodrome as the sport's home - widely credited as key to their success in Beijing, British Cycling Federation bosses told the M.E.N.

The Greater Manchester-based team, which has trained for the Games at the centre, in Eastlands, has triumphed with a clutch of 13 track cycling medals - including seven golds. Salford Quays-based cyclist Chris Hoy yesterday became the first Briton in a century to collect a trio of golds in a single Olympic games - the last being Oldham swimmer Henry Taylor in 1908.

The British Cycling Federation has now allayed fears that the national team would abandon their headquarters at Manchester's 14-year-old, 4,000-seater Velodrome in favour of a new, 6,000-seater state-of-the-art centre being built in the capital for the 2012 games.

And bosses at the east Manchester centre say the Olympic success has triggered a surge in members of the public wanting to take up the sport there with interest `through the roof' and setting phones ringing.

A spokesman for the British Cycling Federation said: "There are two really good reasons why we won't be moving. Firstly, there won't be sufficient office space in the new Velodrome to house all the staff who work in Manchester. Secondly, everybody on the track programme trains on the road and there are some really good areas in and around Manchester where the riders can get the conditions they need. That just wouldn't be the case in London.

Headquarters

"We're not saying the riders won't use the new Velodrome. They would be mad not to before the Olympics, indeed, before Beijing the squad went down to train at the track in Newport. But Manchester will remain our main headquarters for the Olympic and Paralympic squads."

Britain's champion cyclists have taken up residence across Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport and Oldham - to allow them to train together at the Velodrome. Only two of ten track cycling events in Beijing finished without a British medallist.

Manchester council is now planning a massive homecoming party for the athletes, while it is understood Bolton council are considering a special welcome for Jason Kenny, who lives in the town and took silver in the men's individual sprint and triumphed alongside Hoy and Stockport's Jamie Staff in the men's team sprint.

But it is not just the Olympians who have a future in Manchester's cycling centrepiece. Velodrome manager Jarl Walsh said: "This sport is not just for gold medalists like Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton - it's for the local community too. We have a popular programme for school groups and a community club run by volunteers. Jason Queally, who won a gold in 2000, started in one of our taster sessions.

"The value of the Velodrome is it's a real melting pot. Pensioners, schoolchildren and the elite cyclists all use the same facilities. The kids will be getting ready when the Olympians pass through. Sometimes they might be cycling alongside them."

Duty manager Steve Searle added: "People have been phoning to book sessions and saying their child wants to ride in the 2012 Olympics."

The Velodrome will host the opening UCI Track World Cup event in the autumn. Work is expected to start on its London counterpart next year and is due to be completed in 2011, but London 2012 said no one was available to answer questions because their spokesmen were all in Beijing.

Love to believe it, but what betting that funding for the Manchester venue is suddenly retracted when the London one opens.

So cynical, yet so true.

Lets hope its MANCS 1 - 0 Tory tossers