Feature: Newport Velodrome Velodrome Virgin
An afternoon at theWales National Velodrome left Giles Belbin feeling all Olympic.
“Go Go Go.”
Those are the words shouted at me as I start my timed, flying lap, around theWales National Velodrome in Newport, after just two hours of intensive tuition into the art of track cycling. I try to stay as high as I dare on the final bend, before diving down, as quickly and as steeply as my nerves allow, to the point where the start line intersects the black sprinter's line showing the shortest route around the 250m long track. I keep my
head down, my legs pumping as fast as I can manage, driving the bike forward and trying to maintain as steady and efficient a line as possible. I'm aware all eyes in the velodrome are on me as I round the final corner, gritting my teeth, giving it all I've got, stretching every fibre of my body as I drive for the line. I feel Olympic.
Except in reality, of course I wasn't very high on that final bend, my dive down to the start line wasn't particularly steep, my legs weren't pumping Sir Chris style, and in truth
The National Velodrome, Newport,Wales.
As I drive for the line,
stretching every
fibre of
my body, I feel
Olympic
my line was, at best, slightly wobbly. None of which mattered because in my mind I knew that I'd blasted around the track as fast as I
could.And it felt great.
Two hours earlier, as I apprehensively walked into the velodrome for a beginner's taster session, I had never even ridden a fixed wheel bike, let alone raced around a track. I had been in a velodrome before though, in Guangzhou, China. But that was purely for work. There I was paid to watch and write, certainly not to ride. I remember well walking into that
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Photograph Courtesy of Newport City Council
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