Velodrome rejuvenated by new surface

After four years, the finish line is in sight for Wellington’s historic velodrome’s new lease on life.

The final stage of the resurfacing of Wellington Velodrome in Hataitai will begin on February 24, and is due for completion on March 10.

PNP Cycling Club resurfacing committee member Nick Warren said the concrete of the track was worn and bumpy in places. ‘‘It is not the most comfortable track.’’

Opened in 1968, the velodrome was ‘‘very well designed, [and should be] beautiful to ride’’, and the club wanted to ‘‘keep it going as a useful asset’’.

The track is owned by the Wellington City Council and rented by the club.

In February 2016, the club approached the council for funding for the renovation, as it was not accounted for in the council’s Longterm Plan. Their bid was unsuccessful, and the club fronted the cost itself, with the council project-managing the restoration.

The track holds a special place in Wellington’s cycling history. Harry Kent, a former racing cyclist and Commonwealth Games medallist, was the first to ride on it at its opening in 1968.

In January 2017, the club paid for a section of the track to be resurfaced with concrete, with mixed results, and they began to look into new acrylic and latex solutions.

This surface had been used successfully at Brunswick Velodrome in Australia and was eventually endorsed by the council.

Funding came from organisations such as the Infinity Foundation, Pelorus Trust, New Zealand Community Trust, the Racing Industry Transition Agency, the Lion Foundation, and Four Winds.

Two years later, in January last year, part one (involving cleaning, grinding, and filling bumps) was completed over two weeks, and cost $79,476. More than $74,000 of this cost was met by the Infinity Foundation, and the rest by the club. The second stage will see another three layers of resurfacing material applied, and lines painted, and will cost about $120,000.

In December last year, KiwiCourts signed on for the resurfacing work, and a contract was signed and deposit paid. The total cost of resurfacing was nearly $200,000.

The Laykold Cup Carnival, a one-day race, is planned to celebrate the track’s new look on March 15. Warren said the event would be well attended by riders from around the country.

Find out more about the event on Facebook.

Resurfacing of the Wellington Velodrome began last year, with patches of new tarmac to level the surface visible; below, the Wellington Velodrome during the 1981 NZ Summer Games, attended by competitors from around the world.