What is a Velodrome?
The oval tracks used for cycle track racing are called velodromes (VELL-o-dromes). They can be found indoors or outdoors, and can be made of wood, concrete, asphalt, or cement, and, occasionally, grass or dirt. Velodromes are usually 333.3 meters around, although they can run as long as 500 meters or more, or as short as 200m, or, in the case of some of the “portable” tracks, even less. All velodromes have two long sections called “straights,” which are linked by two curved end sections, giving the track a total of four turns. Bicycle track races are always run in a counterclockwise direction, so all four of the turns are to the left. The turns on a velodrome are usually “banked,” or constructed at an angle, and the banking on some of the shorter tracks can reach such incredible angles that it would seem impossible for anyone to ride a bike on them. The centrifugal force generated by the riders’ speed, however, usually keeps them firmly glued to the track’s surface no matter how steep
