Road To Rio 2016

With the weather playing a huge role in what we do on the west coast, we have the luxury of cycling pretty much year round to which many clubs or individuals take advantage of. You’ll often see lots of cyclists of all ages and abilities out and about making the most of the great conditions. Thinking of starting this hobby up yourself? I’d recommend Shopppok.com when it comes to buying your first bike as you don’t want to spend too much in case it’s not for you. I think you’ll love it though, and you’ll be joining a class before you know it.

Other that cycling on the road, which can be extremely dangerous you can join one of many clubs in the lower mainland or attend a class held at the Burnaby Velodrome, built between 1991-97 to replace the old China Creek Velodrome.

Did you know track cycling has been around dating 1870 when cycling was far different than it is in today’s world and wooden (indoor) tracks often resembled those of modern day Velodromes consisting of two straights and slightly banked turns.

The Velodrome officially opened November 17/97 and is one of only three indoor bicycle racing tracks in Canada and is operated by the non-profit Burnaby Velodrome Club, which is an affiliated member of Cycling British Columbia.

The track is located inside the Harry Jerome Sports Centre which is located off the Barnet Hwy and is also used by Volleyball BC for game play and administration purposes.

With the wheels spinning Cycling Canada has it’s sights set on the “Road to Rio” later in the year and with Mattamy Homes removing the wall between the street and the track, Cycling Canada has a new partner.

Putting the rubber to the road (so to speak) is Mattamy Homes who now become a Tier 1 partner of Cycling Canada.

They will provide funding for Canada’s National Track Cycling team over the next twelve months helping them prepare for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

This support will help to deliver key resources such as technical services, sport science, logistical support as well as year-round accommodation for Canadian team athletes near the Velodrome in Milton.

Founder and CEO Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes both played pivotal roles in the development and construction of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, located in Milton Ontario.

It’s interesting to note that this is Canada’s only UCI-approved 250m indoor Velodrome is now the home training base for Canada’s National Track Cycling program, becoming a invaluable asset for Canada’s cyclists as they target the World Championship and Olympic podium.

On hand for the official announcement was three-time Olympic Medalist Curt Harnett, plus 6 current members of the Canadian National Cycling Team.

Currently the athlete’s are in Milton making their final preparations for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships held March 2-6 in London, England.

This is a huge undertaking for such a prestigious company and we wish them all the success moving forward.

Mattamy Homes is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, with operations across the United States and Canada. Mattamy has built and closed more than 65,000 homes in 160 communities.

In the US the company is represented in eight metropolitan areas – Minneapolis-St. Paul, Charlotte, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota, while in Canada, those communities stretch across the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), plus Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

Visit www.mattamyhomes.com for more information