Come July  2012, over 18,000 of the world's elite athletes will descend on London ready for the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympic Games. Since July 6th, 2005, when London narrowly beat Paris to secure the Games, preparations have been underway to prepare the various venues in the Olympic Park. Many expressed their concerns whether the building work would be complete in time and within budget. But, much to the delight of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and all those involved in the process, the first new Olympic construction, the Velodrome, was finished almost 18 months before the start of the Games.


Rt Hon Dame Janet Paraskeva, Chair of The Olympic Lottery Distributor who are investing up to £1.8 billion of National Lottery funding, said: 'This is an important milestone in the delivery of the Olympic Park and National Lottery players can really start to see where their money has been invested with the completion of this truly world class facility.'

Work began on the Velodrome in March 2009, taking 23 months to complete with over 2,500 workers having some involvement during the project. The building is large enough to seat 6,000 spectators, and is split into lower and upper tiers, providing those sitting inside with a full 360 degree view over the entire Velodrome and out over the London skyline. Even those on the outside will be able to get a look in on the action. To give an idea of the scale of the building, enough material was excavated to fill 19 Olympic sized swimming pools.

The Velodrome is an incredible architectural  feat. The entire building construction is designed to reflect the weight and efficiency aspects of modern racing bicycles. For example, the lightweight cable-net roofing structure and purposefully placed rooflights which serve to reduce the amount of artificial lighting needed. Further energy saving features include rainwater collection fittings and natural ventilation while the overall compact design minimizes energy expenditure needed for heating. It’s believed these conditions will be ideal for cyclists to set new records in 2012.

Sir Chris Hoy, Britain's champion cyclist and triple gold medalist at the Beijing Games said: 'Having been involved in a very small way in the design process in the early stages, it's amazing to see the Velodrome finally completed, and to be able to have ridden on it today gives me a feel for what it's going to be like in a year and a half's time. I can't wait!'

Of course all eyes will be on the incredible cycling track which took eight weeks to lay, having been installed by 26 specialist carpenters using sustainably-sourced Siberian pine with more than 350,000 nails used to fix the track into place. The track’s designer, Ron Webb, certainly has the experience, having overseen the design and installation of the tracks for both the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games.
 
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, was brimming with enthusiasm, saying: 'This magnificent venue is a triumph for all those involved in its design and construction. Already an icon for the London Games, with its sweeping roof and sleek ribbon of track, the Velodrome is poised for our world-beating cycling team to smash records in the summer of 2012 and inspire a new generation of racers to take to the saddle…'

Qualifying for the Olympic cycling events will begin on August 2nd, 2012 where 188 riders will compete over six days for one of the ten coveted gold medals. And once the Games are over, the Velodrome will remain functional, although in a slightly different capacity. With the world’s media focused on London’s Olympic Park in 2012, the Velodrome is truly something of which Londoners can be proud.


Source: London2012.com
(http://www.london2012.com/press/media-releases/2011/02/london-2012-velodrome-unveiled-as-sir-chris-hoy-victoria.php)