In a message dated 12/22/04 3:35:52 PM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
<< Interesting timing on this story. I just received a letter from the
Ontario Cycling Association yesterday, asking for donations to resurface
the 30 year old "wind del" velodrome. (some may recall it being "Delhi".
Steve Merker from the OCA and Joe Mitrovic are
aparently heading up this project. =20
The plea reads "ontario's only cycling velodrome is falling apart".
They are looking to raise $100k. No mention of another plan,=20
and it makes one wonder if they even know about the planned=20
London facility. Personally, I'd contribute to a new facility
before spending money fixing the outdoor 'drome in Windham.
Grant McLean
Toronto, Ontario
>>
Grant,
I see your basic reasoning on wanting the indoor facility but the weather in that part of Ontario is not too bad for outdoor cycling. The cycling community in Delhi is quite supportive as well. When I found the outdoor Velodrome there it looked almost like North Carolina. It looked like a small hillside rising out of a tobacco field. There are less and less tobacco fields here in NC and I suppose maybe there as well. At the run down country store that looked again very NC like, overall clad Belgium tobacco farmers swapped stories of racing on the board tracks back home. They have all passed away by now but I suspect they had some heavy influence on the construction of both Velodromes in Delhi. The first one was indoors and burned up wit the stadium building (?) in a fire. The new outdoor facility was built and is considered fire proof.
I hope the 40,000 ft facility has a long lease as the Olympic Velodrome in Montreal was in fine shape until it was demolished after the land there was found to have a higher use that did not include bicycles.
Two velodromes are much better than one.
Do you remember the Toronto velodrome in the 1970s? Several pro racers competed there while it lasted.
Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Company
519 W. North St.
Raleigh, NC 27603
USA
Toll Free Ph: 800-321-5511 Local Ph: 919-828-8999
E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com