Cycling riding high

Sarah Ulmer. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Eight centres around the country are fighting to be the home of cycling's proposed high performance centre as the sport goes from strength to lofty strength.

The Government announced in June the need to build a cycling high performance centre to replicate what rowing (Lake Karapiro) and swimming (North Shore) already have.

It will be a centre that accommodates all disciplines - road, track, BMX and mountain bike - but track will be the main focus with a UCI category 1 velodrome capable of hosting the track world championships the centrepiece.

So far Waitakere, Wanganui, Waikato-Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North-Massey, Hastings and Christchurch have confirmed their intention to submit an application to host the centre.

Invercargill are considering putting in an application, while Taupo were also reported to be interested. Applications close on February 11 before a decision is made in April.

While the Government, through Sparc, will commit up to $7 million to the venture, the rest needs to be sourced from local investment.

Some bids are still contingent on securing this funding, with the Waitakere bid seeking $19 million from the Auckland Council as part of a proposed $35 million project, but others are well advanced with confirmed backing.

The Palmerston North-Massey bid, for example, will see the Palmerston North City Council and Massey University matching each other dollar-for-dollar in an overall project estimated to cost $20 million and based at Massey University. The Hastings District Council have got in behind the Hastings bid which will, if successful, move into the 30ha regional sports park.

The joint Waikato-Bay of Plenty bid intends to build the main facilities, including the velodrome, beside St Peter's School near Cambridge, while the mountain bike facility would be at Rotorua. They have enlisted the help of Olympic gold medallists Sarah Ulmer and Rob Waddell.

Christchurch will submit an application for a centre to be based at QEII Park but it still needs final Christchurch City Council approval. The council are supportive but have other demands after September's earthquake.

Invercargill hasn't made a final decision but are unlikely to make a serious play for the centre. They have been home to New Zealand's best velodrome since 2006 but would need to upgrade it from a category 2 to a category 1 facility to meet Sparc's desire to have a venue capable of hosting top-class events.

They are also almost at breaking point, with the facility proving to be popular with locals. They do, however, want to continue hosting elite events and will be the venue for next year's world junior championships.

On top of a velodrome, the high performance centre will also house Bike NZ as well as sports science facilities and at least a starting ramp for BMX riders.

Cycling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and many centres have said they will build a velodrome regardless of whether they are chosen to be the home of the high performance centre.

"It's fantastic so many people have an interest," Bike NZ high performance manager Mark Elliott said. "It shows the passion for the sport across the country."

Cycling is expected to win a handful of medals at next year's London Olympics and help Sparc reach their stated aim of 10 medals overall.