The Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, PA, USA, will undergo a substantial program restructuring and a revamped image for 2006. At an event in the velodrome's headquarters in Allentown on March 9, the new executive committee unveiled a new logo and website (www.thevelodrome.com), along with its vision for the future.
Present were Olympians Erin Hartwell and Marty Nothstein, respectively CEO and COO of the velodrome, and Bob Martin, president of the board of the Velodrome Fund Inc., among others. "Thirty years ago, I watched Bruce Jenner win Olympic Gold at the XXI Olympiad in Montreal," said Hartwell. "It was at that moment that I committed to the Olympic Ideal and the pursuit of Citius, Altius, Fortius, it was at that moment I wanted to live by an exceptional standard.
"It is a privilege and an honour to represent the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in our mutual pursuits of responsible growth and a strong community presence. It is an ethos that my staff and I bring to work each day as we all strive to create a vibrant, exciting, and professional environment at our place of employ. We're passionate for what we do in part, because it's a place where dreams still come true."
Three areas will be focused on by the velodrome management:
- Revamp the 2006 Professional Racing Series with a reduced number of events (11) with a tighter orchestration between the racing, musical entertainment, and other pre and post-event festivities.
- Restructure the ever-popular community programs under a single-scope High Performance and Development Bridging Program directed towards introducing regional youth to cycling, providing clear pathways through the sequential phase of development into sanctioned racing, and smoothing the transition from regional rider to national team program.
- Initiate interest and feasibility for future expansion of existing infrastructure and physical growth beyond current borders to include a multi-use facility designed to support elite athlete development and talent identification.
"I want to create a centre where athletes from all over want to train, while again providing our local athletes with a clear path on how to achieve their Olympic dreams and helping them turn their dreams into reality," said Marty Nothstein. "I would love to see the Lehigh Valley become the home of an Olympic-level training center, one that provides every possible need for an athlete to accomplish their goals and dreams."
"The objective is to bring the world back to the Lehigh Valley in 2006 and for many years to come with a strong commitment to the elite domestic and international rider," Hartwell said when questioned about the quality of racing scheduled for '06. Later on he iterated that "our mantra this year is 'celebrating 30 years of traditional and excellence with our best season yet, which means right now, there's no 'wiggle room' for Marty and me… the world is watching what we do and we're committed to making sure we do it right. In this game, there are no second chances and T-town needs to retain its title as the Mecca of track cycling worldwide. We're making sure that is exactly what happens."
