Manchester Velodrome (Manchester, United Kingdom)
- 250m indoor wooden track with terraces (seats 3500).
- Multi- Gym/weights room.
- Bike lockers.
- VIP rooms overlooking the track.
- Ofﬁce premises (including headquarters of the British Cycling Federation).
- Rooms for conferences and seminars.
- Cafeteria.
- Physiological tests center.
- Parking.
www.manchestervelodrome.com
How to design and run
a proﬁtable velodrome
Manchester Velodrome
1860 Aigle (Switzerland)
Tel. +41 (0)24 468 58 11
Fax +41 (0)24 468 58 12
www.uci.ch
Checklist
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Is the project adapted to the region’s weather conditions?
Is the area chosen suitable?
Could other sports activities be organised in this complex?
Could other proﬁtable activities be run in the velodrome?
Has the type of track been studied carefully?
For any questions regarding the planning of your project:
International Cycling Union (UCI)
Sports Coordination Department - Track
1860 Aigle, Switzerland
[email protected] - www.uci.ch
Key questions
Examples
In general terms, choices regarding technical matters and proﬁtability are closely connected.
The creation of a velodrome is a wonderful adventure.
Climatic factors
World Cycling Centre (Aigle, Switzerland)
For a town as well as for its region and country, such a project
Climatic factors must be taken into consideration. Although the construction of an outdoor velodrome only requires a fairly low initial investment,
in the long-term it has disadvantages in numerous countries, for several reasons:
- 200m indoor wooden track with terraces (seats 700).
is an effective promotional tool, with the ability to make their
- annual time of use is limited; cold weather, for example, restricts the period when the track can be used;
- time slots when the track can be used are difﬁcult to plan due to rain, among others, which often makes the track unrideable;
- rapid wear and tear of facilities because of the heat, cold and humidity, making it necessary to carry out regular repairs.
name known far and wide. On a local level, it will enable a
town to become more dynamic and active in terms of sports
and leisure facilities.
A complex such as this is usually built for hosting international
Choosing where a velodrome should be built
Choosing the location for the velodrome is vital. It should be built:
- within an active business area;
- in an area, preferably with a high population density;
level national training programmes. However, neither of these
To be proﬁtab
therefo
Here are some ideas on how space can be utilised and rented out:
Asking the right questions at the beginning and ﬁnding the
- other sports facilities (gymastics hall, area with equipment
for other sports at the centre of the track, etc.). These could be
rented out to federations, various organisations and private
companies; some facilities could be opened to the public, with a
membership system which could be lucrative and help publicise
the velodrome;
- commercial units (to be studied with experts);
- advertising space;
necessary answers should guarantee the long-term success
Sharing of the f
proﬁtability of the complex.
one must take into account how the velodrome will be run.
of the operation. Some rules must be followed. You will ﬁnd
them listed alongside.
- Gymnastics hall and weights room.
- Ofﬁce premises (including UCI headquarters).
Multi-purpose facilities
This is why, as soon as the project is in its planning stages,
peripheral gallery with a 252m synthetic track) and exhibition area (peripheral gallery)
- Bike lockers.
In most cases, an indoor velodrome is the best solution.
events (i.e World Championships or Olympic Games) or for top
two options alone can guarantee its proﬁtability.
- Multi-purpose sports area (central area equipped for team sports and athletics,
- in an area which has a good public transport system and
is easily accessible.
- Classrooms and meeting rooms.
- Restaurant with terrace.
- Archive centre.
- Parking.
www.cmc-wcc.com
- temporary exhibitions;
- parking (exceeding the needs of the sports facility and
aimed at making a proﬁt);
- restaurant;
- equipped meeting rooms;
- ofﬁce premises;
- leisure facilities (bowling, games rooms).
The choice of the track
To be homologated by the UCI, the length of a track must be such that by adding a number of half-laps, the distance is one kilometre. The lengths
most often used are 166m, 200m, 250m and 333m. The track design must be thought out based on how it is intended to be used (open to large
numbers of the general public, training of sprinters or pursuiters, etc). For a given length, the angle of the bends and the length of the straight lines
and bends can vary according to the priorities set. The two options recommended are the following:
A 250m velodrome: This alternative is the most appropriate for a facility
built to host big events (World Championships and Olympic Games).
This is in fact the minimum length required according to UCI Rules.
A 200m velodrome: This type of track is the best solution (in terms of
proﬁtability and meeting users’ needs) for a facility where all kinds of
competitions can be organised (apart from World Championships and
Olympic Games).
In both cases, being open to the public and being multi-purpose is important.
Centre Mondial du Cyclisme, Aigle