Rio Olympic Games track test event cancelled

Organisers of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games have been forced to cancel their plans to hold a test event at the city’s velodrome due to delays in completing the track. It means that plans for the test event – which had been scheduled for this spring after several delays – have been scrapped.

There had been a string of concerns over the last year surrounding the completion of the track. At the World Track Championships in London early this year, UCI President Brian Cookson admitted that staging a test event at the Rio de Janeiro velodrome ahead of the 2016 Olympics would be 'a challenge' after the construction of the venue was delayed by several weeks.

A planned test event had been scheduled for early spring but was pushed back to April after the necessary timber only arrived in February.

"It's important that we have a test event in my view, for the riders, the team and those managing the event,” Cookson told the press at the time.

"It would be regrettable if there wasn't a test event. Ultimately it's possible to go to a Games without a test event but that makes it less than ideal for everybody. The riders and team wouldn't be able to test out the track.

"A track is a track and riders adapt very quickly. There is no plan B. There's not another useable velodrome in Brazil so there has to be an Olympic velodrome."

Inside the Games report that the recent announcement not to hold a test event was taken by the Rio 2016 and the International Olympic Committee. The UCI were also informed of the decision.

Speaking at a press conference Organising Committee's director of communications, Mario Andrada, told reporters "We have encountered logistical problems concerning the installation of the track.”

"We thought it would be much better to be safe than sorry - we didn't want to do anything which could cause injuries to an athlete."

The Rio Olympic Games take place from 06 August to 21 August, 2016.