Barra is one of Rio’s richest and most beautiful neighbourhoods. Known for its beaches, rivers and mansions this is a playground for Brazil’s celebrities and is fast becoming one of the most popular spots to go shopping and clubbing in the city.

The Olympic Park site is built on an area of reclaimed marshland that used to be the site of the Nelson Piquet International Autodrome which was a major centre for motorsport, hosting the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix on ten occasions. Nine years ago the site was partially redeveloped for the 2007 Pan American Games when a velodrome was built to host the Games’ track cycling events. Since then both the track and the original velodrome have been demolished to make way for the 2016 Olympic Park project.

How Fast Will The Rio Velodrome Be?

Siberian pine is famous for its ability to bend into new shapes without splintering or breaking while still maintaining the strength needed to build an Olympic level cycle racing track.

Reputed to be the fastest surface for racing on in the world, Siberian Pine can be affected by changes in temperature and humidity which cause the wood to warp. Velodrome tracks have to be flawless to achieve the best results at competition. Even small bumps or irregularities can makes a track impossible to race on which means that conditions have to be perfect for the wood before track construction can begin.

For London 2012 the wood was given several months inside the drome to acclimatise to UK conditions before it was used, ensuring the smoothest and fastest possible finish. It’s not clear how long the timber for Rio has had to get used to the sweltering Brazilian heat which raises some questions about the final finish. If all goes well though this track could still be fast enough to set new Olympic and world records.

Who Designed The Rio Velodrome?

The team building the Rio Velodrome track are lead by Ralph Schurmann, part of the Schuermann Architects group who are have been designing velodromes since 1925 and have 7 Olympic and 20 World Championship tracks to their name. These are the same guys who were responsible for the Beijing 2008 track which saw Olympic Records set by the likes of Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton so we can be sure of a fast track when it’s eventually finished.

When Will The Rio Velodrome Be Finished?

The Rio Velodrome was originally Scheduled to be finished in second half of 2015 (according to Rio 2016 website) but construction has been repeatedly delayed. The first test run at the velodrome was due to take place in March 2016 but was then pushed back a month. As April came around it was clear that the track still wouldn’t be ready in time and a new projected finish date of May 31 has now been given with a provisional schedule for a training event and test run at the end of June.

Organisers have cited “logistical problems” with unloading the wood and installing offices as the reason behind the delays, but whether everything will be running smoothly by the opening of the games on August 5 and the start of track cycling events on August 11-16 remains a mystery.

According to the latest reports there is currently a shell to the building but no news on the wooden track yet, but with the shell in place everything can be sealed and air conditioned for the Siberian timber to be laid. So fingers crossed for meeting that August deadline and creating a track where Team GB can smash even more Olympic Records.

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