As part of its overall effort to improve athlete development in the discipline of track cycling, USA Cycling announced a new partnership with three of the nation's premier velodromes.
Designated as USA Cycling Official Track Training Centers are the ADT Event Center Velodrome at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania and the 7-Eleven Velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The three facilities will be part of a collaborative effort to return the United States to the track cycling powerhouse it was during the 1980's and '90's through the improvement of programs and services available to the track cycling community around the country.
As part of the agreement, the three velodromes will retain complete autonomy of all operational aspects, including athlete development and training programs, business plans and staffing. The new program will be a scaled-back version of its Resident Athlete program as USA Cycling will outsource a portion of its coaching and athlete management programs to additional experts and facilities - a similar concept that is already heavily used in road cycling, BMX and mountain bike.
"With the introduction of this initiative, we're pulling track cycling in line with all of the other disciplines," explained Pat McDonough, USA Cycling Director of Athletics. "By discontinuing the traditional resident program at the Olympic Training Center, we're providing developmental riders and current international-caliber athletes with the opportunity to become involved with a program that fits his or her individual needs as they relate to coaching philosophies, geographic location and program design."
USA Cycling will still operate a resident program in Colorado Springs, but it will only cater to athletes in the USA Cycling Podium Program who have demonstrated the ability or potential to produce results at international competitions.
