North Island Velodrome-where Will It Be?

[Speedanator]

The goss is the location of the North Island indoor velodrome will be announced soon! So where will it be? Auckland, Wanganui, Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North.


Recent related media articles:
Palmerston North http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standar ... -velodrome

Hawkes Bay http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/n ... s/3906587/

Wanganui http://www.wanganui.govt.nz/news/showNews.asp?id=1649

Auckland http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/indo ... nd-2926199

[fatwombat]

Interesting research you've done. It's of great interest to me anyway, because I have 3 kids racing in PNP Junior track squad.

The logical thing to do would be to get the Wanganui one enclosed with plenty of seating, it's reasonably central, the track is already built, it's a traditionally strong region for cycling. Sadly Michael laws doesn't see it as something worth promoting. We have riders going up to Wanganui to race on the velodrome nearly every weekend so for us it would be fantastic to see that one proerly developed. In fact last Saturday there was supposed to be a spring carnival there but it was cancelled due to weather - we had about 10 very disappointed juniors.

Palmy looks to have itself the best organised to make it happen, but it seems a stupid waste to have two Olympic quality tracks within 100km of each other when the only other one in the country is way down on the antarctic frontier.

Hawkes Bay seems like a dark horse. I thought the woman who opposed it had a valid point that a velodrome is not a community asset that enhances the health and fitness of locals - you have to be fit to race on a velodrome (DAMN FIT to do well), but a lot of that fitness you actually develop at home on the mag trainer or on the road. Fewer than 20% of the adults at PNP track nights ride there, even lower percentage of kids. So the value of a velodrome to a local community is the potential to attract sporting events with the related tourist spending.

If they won't build it in Wellington (which is where everything worth having should be built! ) then it would make a lot of sense to build it in Auckland - from Hamilton and Tauranga to Whangarei you've got half the population of NZ so it would be readily available to the maximum number of potential users - and Auckland, unlike the provincial towns, has the infrastructure to sustain a national or international event.

What's your own opinion or preference?

[Joel]

i reckon it will be in a province, my understanding is that hawkes bay has been working hard to get one, second bet would be wanganui.

[Oli]

I reckon Auckland.

[Joel]

HAKES BAY!

[happybaboon]

Palmy. They'll complete a reaaally nice cycling facility, at the University I go to, just in time for me to leave the city. Trust me on this one.

[disoriented]

I don't think its would be wanganui as rumor has it that that track is rotting and they would probably fix that first before a roof. I recon the shit hole they call palmy will build it as they seem to like building flash stuff like that.

[Oli]

A velodrome in Auckland makes sense if they make a bid for Comm Games.

[nzmatto]

I'd be pretty happy with it being in my back yard thanks!!!

[Speedanator]

A velodrome in Auckland makes sense if they make a bid for Comm Games.

I'm guessing we need a Velodrome in the North Island NOW! If we build one in Auckland it might not be "leading edge" for the 2018 Comm Games.

If Auckland get the Comm Games then its probably a way of getting a second North Island Velodrome and as track cycling is a sport NZ is starting to excel in, we probably need 3 indoor velodromes.

[Speedanator]

Interesting research you've done. It's of great interest to me anyway, because I have 3 kids racing in PNP Junior track squad.

Palmerston North is virtually on the doorstep of Wellington, 1 1/2hrs away, so you wouldn't have far to travel.

[ryda]

A velodrome in Auckland makes sense if they make a bid for Comm Games.

Don't you mean Hamiltron......... where they run all the events Auckland cant ?

[znomit]

If Auckland get the Comm Games then its probably a way of getting a second North Island Velodrome and as track cycling is a sport NZ is starting to excel in, we probably need 3 indoor velodromes.

Yes, and the rest of the country will pay for it anyway. Tell the public it will get those pesky roadies off of Tamaki drive.

[way_downsouth]

and Auckland, unlike the provincial towns, has the infrastructure to sustain a national or international event.

How does Invercargill do it then?

The key to supporting the facility is to get the full community involved and using it, which cyclingsouthland has been very good at (from my limited experience down here talking to them)

[Joel]

the community aspect is why i reckon somewhere like hawkes bay is the best place. lot of cyclists in region, ramblers is a strong club.