SAVE THE VELODROME!!!

[Niel1]

Hi all!

 

Please go and leave a comment if you can and help save the velodrome!

 

Olimpiese baanfietsry-drome in gevaar

 

deur Sportliefhebber 2012-08-31 06:00

 

Die toekoms van die fietsrystadion in Bellville, wat die enigste fietsrybaan van internasionale standaard in Afrika bevat, blyk gedoem te wees.

Die Stad Kaapstad het ’n tender toegeken vir die herontwikkeling daarvan, wat ’n hotel en sake-ondernemings insluit. Dit sal die dood beteken van baanfietsry, nie net in die Wes-Kaap nie, maar in die land.

Die Suid-Afrikaner Bernard Esterhuizen, ’n 19-jarige voormalige wêreldkampioen, het op die Olimpiese Spele ’n ongelooflike 11de plek in dié naelrynommer behaal – teen formidabele en veel ouer en meer ervare teenstanders.

Ons het die talent, maar die verdere ontwikkeling daarvan is gesetel in die voortbestaan van die fietsrystadion.

Veral in die Wes-Kaap is ’n hele paar aanspraakmakers op ’n plek in die baanfietsryspan vir die Olimpiese Spele in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, asook die Statebondspele in 2014. Hulle oefen daagliks in Bellville, op die enigste baan in die Wes-Kaap.

Dit is atlete sonder professionele borgskappe wie se ouers hulle grootliks borg, wat ’n beroep op die lange baan geskuif het vir die groot Olimpiese droom.

Ook ons Paralimpiese deelnemers soos Roxy Burns oefen hier. Waar gaan hulle oefen as daar nie meer ’n fietsrystadion is nie?

Die baan word gebruik deur oorsese spanne wat hier kom oefen, soos die Duitse Olimpiese span, wat in Londen met talle medaljes weggestap het.

Die breë gemeenskap gebruik die stadion gereeld vir sport en ontspannings, aangesien dit die enigste groot binnenshuise fasiliteit in die noordelike voorstede is.

Die laaste paar maande is verskeie kere probeer om die Stad Kaapstad tot ander insigte te bring, maar dit lyk of die besluit geneem is.

Saskok en Suid-Afrika soek medaljes, en Fietsry Suid-Afrika het onderneem om die getal ryers op die volgende Olimpiese Spele van vanjaar se 9 na 18 te verdubbel. Hoe kan ons dan bekostig om so ’n gerief tot niet te laat gaan, en dit ter wille van nog sake-ondernemings?

Is die Stad Kaapstad dit nie aan Suid-Afrika verskuldig om sy bes te doen om die stadion vir baanfietsry behoue te laat bly nie?

Vir al hierdie fietsryers is hul Olimpiese droom verydel; maar die grootste jammerte is dat die jeug van môre nie eens die kans gegun gaan word om die wonder van baanfietsry in sy land te ervaar nie.

Met vanjaar se Olimpiese en Paralimpiese Spele is dit weer eens duidelik hoeveel nasietrots in ons land is en hoe sport ons verenig. Ons het die atlete. Help ons met die geriewe!

Sportliefhebber

Brackenfell

 

http://www.dieburger.com/MyDieBurger/Briewe/Olimpiese-baanfietsry-drome-in-gevaar-20120831

[Jacques Potgieter]

They are planning on building a velodrome in Potch. It will be 4000 seater indoor track. Apparently they are in the final stages of planning.

[Niel1]

Flashy, that's true! BUT, they are still planning it! it will take about 2 years to complete. Our riders are training for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Where must they train for that in the mean time?

[Jacques Potgieter]

I know I know. Was just saying. I agree that they should give our guys as many places to train and opportunities to develop as possible. Our leaders want to get results but aren't willing to give anything from their side.

Besides, do they really need another hotel in the cape? I think they are coping rather well.

[LeTurbo]

Bad timing ... it seems to come just when cycling is getting a whole new boost - critical mass, moonlight mass, commuter cycle paths, Levi's commuter range, bike polo ... a huge number of lifestyle events and products and the brands getting involved. I was at coffee the other day where a hipster was raving about having been to the velodrome for the first time. Maybe it needs to be marketed differently?

[DJR]

How about a protest ride around the Velodrome? We are South Africans after all and if we can get the cops to desperse us somewhat heavy handedly, we could even get it into the news.

[HeartCoppi]

Only now do I hear that the German Olympic team was training there.

Why was that not common knowledge darnit !!!???!!!

[ccc2]

its too late to save the v'drome, the tender has been awarded to develop that area. the v'drome will be turned into a 20 000 venue and the tenants have committed to let track racing take place on a wooden track but cannot guarantee dates or number of times a year this could happen. the main problem is that the venue will not be available to train on.

[HeartCoppi]

And another thing... last year I sat there for all 4 days at the SA champs.

It was fantastic !

The madison was brilliant. Everything was just exhilarating.

 

 

I can't remember how I found out about it, but I will say that it was a really inconspicuous tidbit of info that fell my way.

The marketing of track cycling needs to gear up and the venue needs to be put to use often and cleaned up of all the pigeon shot.

I think there are more church gatherings there than cycling events.

[Niel1]

its too late to save the v'drome, the tender has been awarded to develop that area. the v'drome will be turned into a 20 000 venue and the tenants have committed to let track racing take place on a wooden track but cannot guarantee dates or number of times a year this could happen. the main problem is that the venue will not be available to train on.

It is never to late to try!! We will keep on fighting for as long as it stands! there are people that is working hard to keep the sport alive! our club founder, Jaco Scholtz, introduced about 20+ riders to the sport this year! So it can be done!

Go and check out his page foor more detail: http://trackcyclingsa.co.za/

[Eddy Gordo]

Arent there any other tracks available? I know VygiesKraal in Athlone has a track but that is outdoor and concrete!

[Scooter69]

Ah yes......the old god of money raises its head again.

 

Could there also not be corruption in how the tender for the "development" of this area was awarded ?.

 

Somebody benefits from all these high density "developments" .......who are they ?, the citizens that live in the area ? ,.........I think not.

 

Lets face it.............what we as subjects (sorry citizens) think does not matter at all, the faceless "municipality" will do as it pleases, (has anyone ever managed to actually make contact with any of the decision makers in an actual municipality) ?.

 

South African people just do not have any pride in themselves or their country, or their countries history, in other words we have no culture or sense of preserving anything at all. (most do not think about these things anyway).

 

As I have said on many occasions, the Democratic Alliance, who runs the Cape Municipality is as uncultured as the A.N.C., and as short sighted and useless.

 

Obviously big brother knows best.

 

Rant over.

[javadude]

Its a sad state of affairs. I grew up in Krugersdorp in the 80's. We had a fantastic athletics stadium with a 500m cycling track. I trained on the track every Tuesday and Thursday night under floodlights. Races there were really well attended, with some epic battles fought by the top pros. I have really fond memories of those days.

 

This is what the stadium looks like now:

 

[Niel1]

Arent there any other tracks available? I know VygiesKraal in Athlone has a track but that is outdoor and concrete!

VygiesKraal is in a poor condition I've heard... Belvile is also concrete, 250m. VygiesKraal is 500m if I'm correct..? And the elite riders need a Indoor track to set up qualifying times for the Olympics.

The track must be on olympic Standard! bellville Velodrome is the only one in SA.

PS: Bradley Wiggo Wiggins won his first Junior World Title on Bellville velodrome Track!!

Edited September 1, 2012 by Niel1

[ccc2]

the krugersdorp stadium was going to be developed into a 55 000 seater and all resident sportsclubs left the stadium. then the developer reneged on the deal.

re the bellville velodrome - from what i know, the facility will still be available but on a very limited basis.

[LeTurbo]

We need a Critical Mass around the Velodrome - but then it really would have to be a Mass, not the half-hearted turn-out it sometimes get. If the Velodrome was saved, things would have to be jacked up: nobody ever hears of the events, as HeartCoppi points out.

 

Incidentally, there's bike polo at The Palms centre on Sir Lowry Road ... Saturdays 10am to 2pm, and Wednesdays at 6pm, I think. There's something the Velodrome could do too?

 

And an amateur hour? A chance for roadie idiots like me to do a "time trial" and see how fast we can get going. Killarney-style training? I dunno, it just seems the limited Velodrome usage doesn't merit having the place really, to be a Devil's Advocate.