Olympic glory stokes interest in Herne Hill velodrome

4:35pm Tuesday 26th August 2008

By Matt Watts

Great Britain’s spectacular seven gold medal haul in track cycling at the Olympics has seen a historic Herne Hill cycling track’s phone run hot with people looking to take up the sport.

“The response has been phenomenal,” says Steve White, club secretary of Club Velo de Londres (VCL) which looks after the Herne Hill velodrome where cyclists are taught to race.

“People have seen what an exciting sport it is and want to get involved – it’s great. We have had to run new classes the demand is so high.”

Not that the century old circuit in Burbage Road is a stranger to Olympic glory. The track – the oldest in Britain – staged the cycling in the 1948 London Olympics.

Its popularity was not only at the Games. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, courses would regularly attract more than 10,000 people stirred by the opportunity of seeing world champions speed around the track in record times.

Now its days as a flagship facility are gone, but the velodrome once seen as the heart of British cycling has found a new grassroots role providing racers of the future.

Sessions are held throughout the week – with people of any age able to practice and learn racing on one of the clubs stock of over 140 lightweight brakeless racing bikes at very affordable prices.

“Anyone can give it a go,” said Steve. “What’s great is it doesn’t matter what size or shape you are – as long as you can ride a bike we will help you and you can become a good racer.”

He said children as young as six are giving it a go on the ultra-fast resin track with a banking angled at 30 degrees.

“If people have the courage to race we let them,” explained 77-year-old club president David Creasey - a spectator at the 1948 games at the velodrome and former coach of Beijing gold medal winner Bradley Wiggins .

Mr Wiggins first tried out track cycling at the velodrome more than 10 years ago.

But he warns people should not harbour dreams of getting into the 2012 Olympic squad. “It takes up to five years and a lot of practice to become very good,” he explains.

“The competition is very strong. There are British racers who would have won a gold medal who did not even make the Beijing squad.”

Not that David wants to diffuse the extra popularity this year’s Olympics has given the Herne Hill track.

“I just hope it’s not what I call the Wimbledon effect,” he explains. “For two weeks a year everyone is obsessed with tennis and courts are packed but interest soon dies away. I hope we don’t see the same thing once the Olympics have ended.”

What part the track will play in the 2012 London games is still unclear. VCL is desperate for the track to be used as a practice facility for visiting nations - but for this major investment will have to be made in improving facilities such as the club house.

However VCL only has a three year lease from owners Dulwich Estate that is set to finish next year - and the club would have to get at least a 25 year lease to secure the necessary investment from the games’ organisers.

“It would be fantastic to bring the games here, and we are ideally situated,” said Steve. “But what is most important is we can continue it as a grassroots facility.”

That future looks secure for now, and for those not interested in riding but wanting to see our Olympic heroes in the flesh, the velodrome still attracts the world’s best riders- including team GB - and a 5,000 strong crowd at its Good Friday race meeting.

To get involved with cycling and find out coaching times at the Herne Hill Velodrome visit vcl.org.uk.