A “topping out” ceremony has taken place at the new National Indoor BMX Arena in East Manchester. Designed by Ellis Williams Architects the £19m arena – the first purpose-built, covered BMX track with Olympic-size ramp in the UK – will form, along with the existing velodrome, the National Cycling Centre incorporating the HQ offices of British Cycling. All of which falls within the wider scheme of London 2012 legacy. 3000 cubic metres of earth and clay excavated in the construction of the site are to be reused to form the base mounds of the BMX track, which will have a maximum capacity of 2000 when fully complete. Funding for the venue was split between Sport England, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
On hand to add her seal of approval to developments at the arena was Shanaze Reade, triple winner of the UCI BMX World Championships and Olympic Track Champion in to the bargain. Pre-Beijing Games Chris Hoy had commented: “If I was going to put my mortgage on anyone winning the gold, it would be Shanaze.” Cyclo doesn’t know if Hoy took the flutter but he would have mad a mint – and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing what Reade can do once things in Manchester are complete…
