Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome
| Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome | |
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| Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome (2017) | |
| Data | |
| place | Durban , South Africa |
| Coordinates | 29 ° 49 '8.2 " S , 31 ° 1' 51" E |
| start of building | May 1980 |
| opening | December 20, 1981 |
| capacity | 1500 |
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The Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome is an open cycle racing track in Durban, South Africa . The track was the venue for the African Track Championships , which took place from March 21 to 24, 2017. It is also used for national track cycling competitions and championships.
Today's cycle track
Construction of the Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome began in May 1980, and it opened on December 20, 1981. The pavement of the track consists of pink prefabricated concrete slabs that are attached to buttresses. The track has "monster bends" ( giant curves ) that are connected with short straight lines. It is 333 meters long and has a curve superelevation of 42 degrees. A floodlight system also allows evening races. The races can only be followed from the main stand, as the track is raised. An additional use by the local riding club was planned.
The cycling track was named after the cyclist and former President of the South African Cycling Federation (1961–1971) Cyril "Go" Geoghegan (he was nicknamed "Go" because of his energetic manner). In the 1930s, Geoghegan had been successful in mostly standing races . Since Geoghegan was controversial, although he was committed to the construction of the railway, there was initially strong opposition to the naming of the stadium after him, but this did not prevail. The reason for the criticism was that Geoghegan had not campaigned vigorously enough to prevent sporting isolation in view of the sports boycott against South Africa.
In 2017 the African Track Championships took place at the Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome .
As part of the application to host the Commonwealth Games 2022 , there were considerations to adapt the Cyril Geoghegan Velodrome to international requirements. For the resulting costs, however, you could just as easily build a new cycling track in a hall, according to the calculations.
Predecessor courses
At the end of the 19th century, the first cycle track was built in Durban near the centrally located Albert Park , in an area that was primarily home to the white upper class. There was a cricket field in the interior . Several national and regional championships were held on this track up to the outbreak of the First World War . From 1915 to 1919, cycling was prohibited in South Africa.
In the early 1920s, a new velodrome was built around an athletics and cricket field north of the city center, the Lords Ground Athletics and Cycling Stadium at Old Fort . The track was 460 yards (approx. 420 meters) long and had a macadam covering . National championships were held here in 1924, 1927, 1932 and 1940. It was closed in 1954 to make more space for athletics.
In 1938 the 18-year-old cyclist Ernest Bishop from Durban, who had only started track cycling a few months earlier, fell fatally during a race on this track.
In the 1950s, another cycling track, the Wema Stadium, was built next to a hostel for black migrant workers in order to enforce the apartheid system in sport. South African championships for blacks are said to have taken place there in 1957. Despite apartheid, the Wema Stadium was eventually used by white cyclists for training purposes. In addition, there was a track in Currie's Fountain , which was later mainly used by Indian athletes and for demonstrations against the apartheid regime.
After three years without a cycling track, during which the athletes had to drive to Pietermaritzburg for training , the Kings Park Athletics and Cycling Stadium was opened in 1958 . The pavement was made of pink cement, the track 460 meters long, the curve superelevation was 33 degrees. Three times, in 1958, 1968 and 1975, the national track championships were held on this track. Initially, the cycling track was only intended for use by white athletes, but from 1975 colored cyclists were also allowed: “History was made at King's Park Stadium on Saturday when colored cyclists held their first club meeting. Daily News (Tuesday, January 28, 1975) “This track was also closed in 1979 to enlarge the area for athletics.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The Outdoor Cycle tracks of 20th Century Durban, SouthAfrica. In: Classic Lightweights UK. January 28, 1975, accessed March 29, 2017 .
- ↑ Cyril Geoghegan - TrackCyclingSA. In: trackcyclingsa.co.za. March 28, 2017, accessed March 29, 2017 .
- ↑ 2017 African Continental Track Championships. (No longer available online.) In: cyclingsa.com. March 20, 2017, archived from the original on March 30, 2017 ; accessed on March 29, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b Bob Turk / Dave Huckett / Geoff Waters: Sixty years of cycling in Durban, South Africa. A History of the Mayville-Kings Park Cycling Club from 1930 to the 1990s. P. 11 , accessed March 29, 2017 . (pdf)
- ↑ Bid for 2022 cycle track - IOL. In: iol.co.za. September 11, 2015, accessed March 29, 2017 .
- ↑ Bob Turk / Dave Huckett / Geoff Waters: Sixty years of cycling in Durban, South Africa. A History of the Mayville-Kings Park Cycling Club from 1930 to the 1990s. P. 9 , accessed on March 29, 2017 . (pdf)
