Category Archives: The Velodrome

Mike Walter Madison/ BRL All-Stars Preview

Friday, June 28th at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, the BRL All Stars share the spotlight with the greatest cyclists in the world on a very special night in T-Town.

The brightest stars from the Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League will take the track to celebrate all they have accomplished this season. Riders from the 9-11 year old age group will compete in a 3 lap scratch, and riders from the 12-16 age group will take part in a 4 lap scratch, and there will be a 5 lap scratch open to all age groups.  The night will feature an awards ceremony, as well as team introductions, and much more. Which one of these youngsters will use the lessons learned from the pros on Friday to propel themselves to Olympic greatness? You’ll have to be here to find out.

Alongside the up and comers will be the greatest track cyclists in the world. The feature event of the night is the 100 Lap Madison for the Mike Walter Trophy. A Madison involves teams of two both wearing the same jersey. For those who haven’t seen the race, each rider completes a lap and then grabs their teammate by the arm and slings them forward to propel them further along.

 Tuesday night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center featured a 40 lap Madison, a warm up for the 50 and 100 lap races on Friday. The team of Luke Ockerby and Eric Workowski won the 40 lap event Tuesday. Ockerby will be paired for the first time with Austrian Andreas Graf, and Workowski will be paired with Patrick Kos of the Netherlands.  Workowski may be more nervous, however, watching his daughter Emma compete in the Red Robin BRL races on Friday night.

American tandem Bobby Lea, teamed with Barry Miller is looking to win the Mike Walter Madison for the third straight year Friday. The Americans will face stiff competition from the same international riders that they have all season long.  The powerful German team of Kalz and Grassman, along with the dynamic Dutch duo of Yondi Schmidt and Nick Stopler will look to unseat Lea from the Madison Throne.

Friday is also German Night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. The night will feature a special appearance by Johan the Yodler, $3.00 Widmer Hefeweizens, and fresh German fare including German potato salad and organic bratwurst courtesy of Rodale Catering.

Pocono Raceway will be in the plaza to promote the Pocono IndyCar 400 fueled by Sunoco, and the official Chevy Camaro Pace Car will be taking a few laps around the track. Pocono Raceway will be giving out tickets to lucky fans throughout the night, so be sure to visit them in the plaza.

Friday night is a special night at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, so be sure to come out and enjoy all the action.

Stay tuned for our Friday night report which just might appear Saturday morning with all the Hefeweizens!

Dishing right round like a record, baby!

British futurist H.G. Wells wrote about cycling in Utopia in his 1905 novel A Modern Utopia.  I imagine good old H.G. probably didn’t dream of a cycling track in sunny Trexlertown, PA.

But…

The Valley Prefered Cycling Center aka The Velodrome was certainly the East Coast Utopia for cycling this past Friday night when the UCI Festival of Speed came to town.

UCI Festival of SPEED

The Velodrome was abound with Worldwide Olympic caliber talent with athletes representing New Zealand, Great Britain, Germany, Trinidad & Tobago, The Netherlands, Austria, and of course the U.S.A.

The International field was strong this Friday when Olympic cyclist Njisane Phillip (Trinidad & Tobago), whose family was seated just a few rows in front of me, finished 1st in the Final Sprint Standings. Not to be outdone Germany’s Marcel Kalz took the line 1st for the Pro Men Super Sprint Elimination and the Pro Men UCI 30km Points Race. The Netherlands Jenning Huizenga won the Pro Men UCI 15km Scratch to round out the International Field for the men.

Perkasie PA’s own Matt Baranoski won one for the home team when he finished 1st in the Pro Men UCI Keirin Final and exacted revenge on Phillip after placing 2nd to him in the Sprint.

On the women’s side the night belonged to Emmaus native Kim Geist who pretty much won every event she entered taking 1st prize in the Pro Women Elimination, Pro Women UCI 10km Scratch, and Pro Women 25 Lap Points Race.

Kim is certainly rides with an inspiring story. In 2007 , well on her way to a 2008 Olympic birth she was basically run over by a tractor trailer on Route 100 in Macungie. While Kim didn’t get the chance to compete in 2008 and didn’t qualify for the 2012 London Games she is aiming for the 2016 games in Rio. We’ll try to catch up with Kim this summer and see where she may be riding off to in the future.

New Zealander Stephanie McKenzie finished off the women’s field by out riding everyone to the Pro Women UCI Keirin Final victory in back to back weeks. Next week should be Stephanie’s last race in T-Town before heading back home so you will get one last chance to see this top women’s track racer.

While I haven’t been to the Velodrome in probably more than 30 years  like a fine wine it has only gotten better with age. If you haven’t been there lately or ever you simply must go before the summer is through.

Executive Director Marty Nothstein , Alicia Marinelli, Matt Hagen and all the staff at VPCC put on a truly first class show. The action keeps moving and even during multiple intermissions the crowd was never distracted from the track. The food is great and reasonably priced. The racing is top notch – have you purchased your tickets yet? (Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting 610-395-7000 or info@thevelodrome.com. General Admission tickets are $5 and Finish Line tickets are $8.)

As we have mentioned before Alicia and Matt came to the Velodrome from The Lehigh Valley IronPigs. On Friday night a crowd favorite from Coca-Cola Park and Parkland grad Ben Youngerman aka The Utility Man entertained the crowd between races.

I caught up with Ben and we talked about how he turned his IronPigs gig into The Utility Man entertainer. Ben was featured by MLB Network during the Winter meeting and will visit at least 9 different states this Summer with more probably to come.  He mentioned he recently got an inquiry from Florida for his entertaining show. We wish Ben good luck and he’ll be at CCP in the near future!

Many thanks to Matt and Alicia for being so gracious and welcoming. I certainly had a great time and have some tickets for anyone who wants to catch a race – there are 2 to give so let me know. First Beer is on me – next one is on you!

Next Friday, June 28 is German night at the track with German Beer, German rider autographs and more. Pocono Raceway will also be at the Velodrome to promote the upcoming Pocono Indycar 400 on July 7th at Pocono Raceway.  I think I heard a 100 lap Madison race as well – always fun to watch. Be there!

Click any of the pix below to start the show

Dishing while turning left

The Dog Days of Summer have arrived in T-Town!  Keirin Racing comes to the track tonight as well as a 10 mile endurance race. Keirin racing is some the most exciting track racing to watch. Riders are paced behind a motorized cycle that gradually increases the rider’s speed on each lap until the last 600-700m when the pacer pulls off and the riders sprint to the finish crossing the line at 40+ MPH! Stay tuned for the report from the track following tonight’s action.

Dishing in Circles

Not sure about riding my bicycle but I’m sure the folks at Trexlertown’s Valley Preferred Cycling Center  do! However without rain tires opening night has been postponed until tomorrow evening.

OFFICIAL NEWS FROM VALLEY PREFERRED CYCLING CENTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2013

Due to inclement weather, tonight’s US Sprint Gran Prix at Valley Preferred Cycling Center has been postponed. The race is rescheduled for Saturday, June 8th at 7:30PM. Gates will open at 6:00PM. Sprint qualifying will begin at 5:00PM.

The First Drink on Us promotion will still be in place for Saturday’s race. All coupons for June 7th will be honored.

All First Niagara Masters and Rookies and Bear Creek Futures Stars events previously scheduled for Saturday have been canceled.

About Valley Preferred Cycling Center

Valley Preferred Cycling Center (formerly Lehigh Valley Velodrome) is managed by a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation and is the most prestigious professional cycling track in North America. Valley Preferred Cycling Center has hosted a full spectrum of world-class events throughout its history, including numerous national championships, world cups, world championships, and the 1996 Olympic Trials.

From April through September, Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosts professional cycling events, amateur events, youth bicycle racing leagues, and developmental cycling courses for all ages. The Valley Preferred Cycling Center is committed to providing the community with cycling programs that promote education, fitness, and healthy competition.

Shane Baglini
Marketing/ Communications Assistant
Valley Preferred Cycling Center
The Bicycle Racing Capital of the World

My childhood home was 3 miles from The Lehigh County Velodrome (as it was so titled then) and I have fond memories of Friday night visits as a teenager.

When I discovered some of our friends had taken an opportunity to work for the non-profit Valley Preferred Cycling Center (as it is now titled), I contacted them to see what they were up to and what is happening this summer at the track.

So courtesy of Alicia Marinelli and Matt Hagen I had the recent pleasure to visit The Velodrome, located at 1151 Mosser Road, 

Breinigsville, PA 18031 on a beautiful spring day.

In Part I of this series we’ll take a look at some hot off the presses marketing material including the 2013 Racing Schedule, Cycling Development Programs, and end with some views of a sunny spring day in T-Town.

(Don’t forget this Saturday’s (May 4th) upcoming VeloFest detailed in this post.)

The Velodrome has some exciting races and events coming this season – with Alicia and Matt on board along with Executive Director Marty Nothstein, it’s going to be a HOT Summer in T-Town!

Speaking of two time Olympic medalist Marty Nothstein, be sure to stay tuned for Part II where we sit down for a candid conversation covering his career, what’s coming up at The Velodrome and even a few other surprises.

World Series of Bicycling – 2013 Schedule

The World Series of Bicycling will bring Olympic action to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center every Friday night this summer. The Friday night lineup, starting June 7th, is a mix of sprint and endurance events that will bring the world’s best track cycling talent to T-Town this summer. Last season, VPCC brought in racers from 13 countries, including 12 Olympians.

Click image to enlarge

Air Products Developmental Cycling Program

For 35 years the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center has been the starting point for many of America’s best track cyclists. From Olympic Gold Medalist and multiple World Champion Marty Nothstein and former Junior World Champion Sarah Uhl, to current champions Bobby Lea and Kim Geist; the Air Products program is recognized around the globe for its legendary graduates.

Click image for viewable/printable PDF

Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League

The Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League (BRL) introduces new riders ages 9-16 with no previous experience to the thrill and excitement of bicycle racing. The 2013 BRL program format consists of five teams that will practice and race for eight to ten weeks before the season culminates with the Team Championships at the nation’s premier outdoor track cycling facility, the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Click image for viewable/printable PDF

Spring Photgraphs at The Velodrome – click on any picture to start the show!