Tel Aviv Unveils First Olympic Cycling Track in Middle East

Tel Aviv unveiled Israel’s first Olympic velodrome, the most advanced indoor bike racing track in the Middle East.

By: United with Israel Staff

The City of Tel Aviv unveiled Israel’s first Olympic velodrome, the most advanced indoor bike racing arena in the Middle East.

The velodrome is an Olympic training arena for track cycling featuring steeply banked oval wooden tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights.

The velodrome comprises 900 tons of steel, 620 seats, 17 thousand connecting plates and 100 thousand screws and aims to attract cyclists from Israel and around the world.

The Velodrome’s unveiling took place a few days before the start of the Giro d’Italia in Israel, one of the world’s most significant sporting events, scheduled to reach Tel Aviv on Saturday. The Giro d ’Italia cyclists will pass it during the Tel Aviv leg of the race.

The unveiling took place on Tuesday in the presence of Tel Aviv’s Mayor Ron Huldai and professional cyclists from the Israel Cycling Academy who tested the racetrack for the first time together with Sylvan Adams, the Honorary President of the Giro’s “Big Start” in Israel, which will kick off in Jerusalem on Friday.

The track was also tested by Gilles Peruzzi, the Director of the Velodrome Department at the International Cycling Union (UCI) who ensured that the it met the UCI standards in order to be able to welcome international competitions at the facility.

The Israel Cycling Union has already submitted its candidacy to host the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championship in 2021.

“Three years ago, Sylvan Adams told me that it makes no sense that a global city such as Tel Aviv doesn’t have a professional cycling facility,” Huldai recounted. The Municipality took on the challenge and has now unveiled the Velodrome.

In honor of Sylvan Adams’ “generous contribution to important social projects in the city and his love for cycling,” the city decided to name the velodrome after him.

“The velodrome will provide cyclists a place to train and will promote professional sports activities in the cycling field and will also contribute to the development of the cycling industry in Israel,” Huldai stated.

“This weekend we will host one of the most important cycling competitions in the world and thanks to this amazing arena, we plan to host the most significant international indoor cycling competitions as well,” the mayor concluded.

Cycling for Peace

Sylvan Adams noted that the new velodrome is the most advanced cycling facility in the Middle East and “we aspire to host international competitions here with the participation of our neighboring countries.”

He expressed hope that the velodrome “will allow us to use sports as a medium to foster closeness and good neighborliness between our bordering countries.”

Cycling teams from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates landed in Israel in order to take part in the Giro.

“They will ride in Israel, experience the velodrome and understand that they are always welcome here and we can compete and train together!” he declared.

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