Birmingham has been officially announced as the host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but London will host the Games' track cycling events because Birmingham lacks an indoor velodrome.
Initially it was thought that the new Derby Arena would be able to host the track events given its proximity to Birmingham, but the venue only has capacity for 1600 spectators – short of the 4000 capacity required, reports the Derby Telegraph.
That left either the National Cycling Centre in Manchester or the Lee Valley Velodrome in London, with the latter looking the most likely option. Manchester hosted the Games in 2002, which was the last time England hosted the Games.
The Lee Valley Velodrome was built specifically for the 2012 Olympic Games, and is well established as an international-standard venue.
Ian Ward, who led Birmingham's bid for the Games, confirmed that London rather than Derby or Manchester would host the track cycling events on Thursday.
"The hard work begins now and we all have just four-and-a-half years to deliver an unforgettable Games that will shape the future of our city, our region and our people," said Ward in a statement. "Thank you for backing Birmingham’s bid.”
The Commonwealth Games includes an extensive schedule of track cycling events – more than those included in the Olympic Games.
>>> Dani Rowe announces that she hopes to ride for Wales in 2018 Commonwealth Games
The region around Birmingham will still host the road cycling events, comprising men's and women's road races and individual time trials, and the cross-country mountain bike event. Coventry and Warwickshire are reportedly in talks to host the road cycling events, according to the Coventry Telegraph.
The whole Games will cost in the region of £750million to host. Birmingham plans to build Britain's largest permanent athletics stadium, and four indoor arenas for other sports – but no velodrome.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games are provisionally scheduled to take place between July 27 and August 7, 2022.
Glasgow hosted the last Commonwealth Games in 2014, with the 2018 Games taking place on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Training through the pain
It’s a universal truth in cycling: when the hard effort hurts too much, we back off and slow down. But can we train our ability to tolerate pain? Steve Shrubsall finds out
-
11 alternative kits with more flair than (most of) the WorldTour would know what to do with
Gravel, crit, and amateur teams have some of the best kits (fact)
-
Ghent Six Day 2021: everything you need to know
Our guide on everything Ghent Six Day as the racing returns after a year out due to the Pandemic
-
Olympic gold medal sprinter Phil Hindes announces retirement at 29
Hindes was an essential part of the GB team sprint squad, winning gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016
-
Route for 2022 Commonwealth Games road race and time trials announced
The time trial heads through Wolverhampton, while Warwick hosts the road race
-
‘The dream is a reality’: Ashton Lambie sets staggering individual pursuit record, breaking the four-minute barrier
The US track rider claimed the record from Filippo Ganna
-
'I’ll make sure there’s a bike available if you think you’re good enough' - British Cycling boss responds to critics after Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Team GB was the best cycling nation in this year’s Games, matching the number of medals from London and Rio
-
Kit, temperatures, and practice - How records fell on the opening day of Tokyo 2020 Olympics track cycling
With team pursuit world records falling in the first session, we asked Aerocoach expert Xavier Disley why
-
Elinor Barker confident of catching Germany after qualifying second fastest at Tokyo Olympics
On a rapid opening day to the track events, the GB women’s team pursuit squad made mistakes but were still near the top of the standings
-
European Track Championships cancelled after ‘hijacking’ of Ryanair flight in Belarus
The European Championships were the last major event before the Tokyo Olympics
