Location | Grenchen, Switzerland |
---|---|
Coordinates | 47°11′07″N7°24′20″E / 47.185321°N 7.405519°E |
Owner | Velodrome Suisse AG |
Operator | Velodrome Suisse AG |
Capacity | 1800 |
Surface | Siberian spruce wood |
Construction | |
Built | April 2012 |
Opened | July 23, 2013 |
Construction cost | CHF 17 million |
Tenants | |
2015 UEC European Track Championships 2021 UEC European Track Championships 2023 UEC European Track Championships |
The Velodrome Suisse is an indoor velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland.
The hall covers an area of 8000 square meters and has a capacity for 1800 spectators. The velodrome itself is 250 m (270 yd) meters long, made of Siberian spruce wood and is applied according to the UCI standards. The banked curve is 46% steep and includes a vertical drop of 7 meters. The velodrome primary serves as a training center for the Swiss team and for the junior selection, but the track is also available to recreational cyclists. The interior consists of three different surfaces, which can also be used for other sports, fairs and concerts but also for cultural and economic events. In addition, the Velodrome Suisse houses a gym, a training center with medical and physio practice, the BMC Concept Store, Restaurant and Catering, and 30 hotel beds. The Swiss Cycling Federation also uses a portion of the office space as headquarters. The Velodrome is located between two stadiums for football and athletics, directly opposite the headquarters of the initiator, the Swiss entrepreneur Andy Rihs, owner of the bicycle brand BMC. [1]
The CHF 17 million project was financed from both public and private donations. The Velodrome Suisse is the second modern indoor velodrome in Switzerland, after the World Cycling Centre of the Union Cycliste Internationale in Aigle. The hall was built according to the Minergie standard and built by a foundation set up specifically for this purpose, whose chairman is Rihs who dedicated himself two million francs. [2]
In 2013 the second stage of the 2013 Tour de Romandie finished on the Velodrome Suisse, [3] and in January 2014, a six-day race was held. [4] On 23 June, the Velodrome was officially opened with an "open day". [5]
On 18 September 2014 Jens Voigt rode at the velodrome a new hour record with a distance of 51.115 km. On 8 February 2015 the Australian Rohan Dennis beat the hour record of Matthias Brändle, who had broken it in the meantime, with a distance of 52.491 kilometers. From 14 to 18 October 2015, the UEC European Track Championships were held at the velodrome. [6]
Joss Lowden set the women's world hour record 48.405 km on 30 September 2021. Ellen van Dijk improved this to 49,254 km on May 23, 2022.
The track time trial is a track cycling event where cyclists compete individually against the clock to record the fastest time over the specified distance from a standing start.
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement curve.
The Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
Manchester Velodrome is an indoor Olympic-standard cycle-racing track in Manchester, England, which opened in 1994. Part of the National Cycling Centre, the facility has been home to British Cycling since 1994, coinciding with the nations rise to track cycling dominance at World and Olympic level. The velodrome was also home to UCI ProTeam Ineos Grenadiers, formerly known as Team Sky between 2010 and 2019, a period when the team won 6 Tour de France, 2 Vuelta a Espana and 1 Giro d'Italia with Great Britain riders.
The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious records in cycling. Since it was first set, cyclists ranging from unknown amateurs to well-known professionals have held the record, adding to its prestige, romance and allure. There is now one unified record for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Hour-record attempts for UCI bikes are made in a velodrome.
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling sports include artistic cycling, cycle polo, freestyle BMX and mountain man trials. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is the governing body for human-powered vehicles that imposes far fewer restrictions on their design than does the UCI. The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is the governing body for many ultra-distance cycling races.
The Forest City Velodrome is an indoor cycling facility in London, Ontario, Canada. The building was constructed in 1963 as the London Gardens, home to the London Knights ice hockey team. In 1994 it was renamed London Ice House. In early 2005 it was remodeled into the Forest City Velodrome by local cycling enthusiast and track racer Rob Good and Albert Coulier's Apollo Velodrome Systems company.
The Velodrom (velodrome) is an indoor track cycling arena, in the Prenzlauer Berg locality of Berlin, Germany. Holding up to 12,000 people, it was also Berlin's largest concert venue, until the opening of O2 World in 2008.
TX Group AG is a media company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Through a portfolio of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines and digital platforms, as well as own printing facilities, it is the largest media group in the country. Since 2000, Tamedia has been listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange.
Oscar Egg was a Swiss track and road bicycle racer. He captured the world hour record three times before the First World War and won major road races and stages of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. He was also a noted developer of racing bicycles and bicycle components including lugs and derailleurs.
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The Adelaide Super-Drome is located at Adelaide, South Australia's State Sports Park, Main North Road, Gepps Cross. The Super-Drome was designed by Architect Carlo Gnezda and was opened in 1993. From 1993 the venue was managed and promoted by 1984 Olympic Games Men's team pursuit gold medalist Michael Turtur. He was assisted by the venue's track designer Ron Webb in bringing out international competitors.
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BMC Switzerland AG is a Swiss bicycle and cycling product manufacturer based in Grenchen. BMC designs, builds and distributes road bikes, mountain bikes, and commuter bikes primarily for sale to dealers in North America, Europe, South Africa, Australia, East Asia and the United Arab Emirates.
The World Cycling Centre is a coaching and training centre in Aigle, Switzerland. It contains a 200 m (660 ft) indoor velodrome, a BMX racing track and other non-cycling facilities. It was built in 2002 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body for sports cycling, whose headquarters is located in the main building.
Filippo Ganna is an Italian track and road cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers. He is a record-breaking five-time world champion in the individual pursuit, winning a total of eight medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, and part of the Olympic gold medal winning team in the team pursuit at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He also won the men's individual time trial at the 2020 and 2021 UCI Road World Championships, and four stages in the 2020 Giro d'Italia and two stages in the 2021 Giro d'Italia, setting the record for most consecutive time trials won at the Giro with five. He is the current world record holder in individual pursuit, team pursuit and of the hour record, which he unified with the best human effort since the distinction was first made in 1997.
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The 2022 Tour de Suisse was a road cycling stage race that took place between 12 and 19 June 2022 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It was the 85th edition of the Tour de Suisse and the 22nd event of the 2022 UCI World Tour.