Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?
Fears for the event grow as storms sweep in and force cancellation of training session - Velodrome in Cali has open sides - Strong winds have blown rain on to the wooden surface - Flooding in the access tunnel


The 2014 UCI track cycling world championships are due to start in Cali, Colombia tomorrow (Wednesday, February 26) but for the first time in over a decade the weather is threatening the event.
The track world championships and Olympics moved to indoor velodromes soon after the Atlanta Games in 1996 to avoid disruption from the weather and allow the world championships and world cups to move to the winter season.
However, while the velodrome in Cali has a roof, it also has open sides allowing the rain to sweep in when the wind is blowing. Last week riders due to compete in Cali had been tweeting rumours of water on the track, and a possible hole in the roof, but nothing would have prepared them for this.
Great Britain's track sprint coach Iain Dyer posted these tweets from the team's training session on Monday.
The British team did eventually get on to the track and complete their session as the wood dried out quickly, but it lead Iain Dyer, a long standing member of GB coaching staff and former coach of Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, to question the quality of velodromes that have been used this winter.
The weather forecast for the next week is for more showers.
UCI rule busting
The situation prompts the question; why is the UCI not sticking to its rules of holding world championships on indoor velodromes? However, nowhere in the rules does it say this. Instead it says:
Track events included on the UCI international calendar must be held at a UCI-homologated velodrome. Exceptionally, special dispensations may be granted by the UCI for velodromes in use prior to 2001
The UCI homologation of a track is then described at length, covering everything from the length, to the angle of the banking of the track, the painted lines, the lighting and various facilities for officials.
The UCI also classifies tracks into four categories. Category number one is for Olympic events and world championships. But again, this only concerns the length of the track, the width and the radius of the turns.
The 2014 track world championships are due to start on Wednesday morning.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling when channel surfing in 1989 and happening across the greatest ever edition of the Tour de France. He's been a Greg LeMond fan ever since. He started racing in 1995 when moving to university in North Wales gave him more time to train and some amazing roads to train on. He raced domestically for several years, riding everything from Surrey leagues to time trials, track and even a few Premier Calendars. In 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium with the Kingsnorth International Wheelers.
Since working for Cycling Weekly he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He can still be seen at his club's evening races through the summer but he still hasn't completed the CW5000 challenge!
SIMON IS CURRENTLY RIDING
Road bike: Pinarello K8S with Shimano Dura Ace
TT bike: Specialized Venge road bike with FFWD wheels and Easton Attack TT bars
Gravel bike: N/A
Training bike: Rourke custom hand made with Reynolds 853 steel
-
-
Men on motorbikes 'leered at me' and 'tried to knock me off my bike': Attacks leave female cyclist close to quitting
Jen George went on to win the National Circuit Championships, riding on “anger, frustration and raw emotion”
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Fake Strava segments reveal location of secret Israeli military intelligence bases
Israeli disinformation watchdog identifies fake user uploading bogus segments to spy on personnel in top-secret installations
By Simon Smythe • Published
-
Jason Kenny retires from cycling, becomes GB sprint coach
Britain's most successful Olympian steps off bike after winning seven gold medals over career
By Adam Becket • Published
-
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
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
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
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
‘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
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
'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
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
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
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
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
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
European Track Championships cancelled after ‘hijacking’ of Ryanair flight in Belarus
The European Championships were the last major event before the Tokyo Olympics
By Alex Ballinger • Published