TREXLERTOWN, Pa. – The Valley Preferred Cycling Center boasts the label of the Bicycle Racing Capital of the World. In June, it lived up to its name as more than 15 different nations were represented in T-town. Next week, VPCC is set to be the epicenter of track cycling solely for the United States.
VPCC is set to host the 2016 USA Cycling Junior and Elite National Championships. The two championships will take place from July 25-31.
Next week’s championships mark the first time national champions will be crowned in T-town since USA Cycling held the Junior Track National Championships at VPCC in 2013.
The event welcomes the best riders, as young as teenagers, to the Lehigh Valley. All riders must have pre-registered for the event by Friday, July 23. T-town Elite, VPCC’s team, is poised for a solid performance in the junior championships, including Divya Verma, who won a national championship a few weeks ago at road nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.
“We are excited to host such a high caliber event here in T-town,” Marty Nothstein, VPCC Executive Director said. “It has been a few years since we have had a national championship. It feels good to have the best riders this country has all in one place and that be right here in T-town.”
Schedule: Racing begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 25 and continues throughout the week, with the final events taking place on the night of Sunday, July 31. Each day is comprised of day and evening sessions. Most days, the day sessions begin at 9 a.m. with the evening sessions usually commencing at 6 p.m. The complete schedule can be found at usacycling.org.
Admission: Admission into every session except the Friday night and Saturday night sessions is free. Friday and Saturday night sessions are ticketed as a World Series of Bicycling event. Both sessions are included in 2016 season ticket packages. Children 12 years and younger are free with a paying adult with tickets starting as low at $5. Tickets can be purchased in advance at thevelodrome.com.
Parking: Parking is free with plenty of spots around the facility. Parking is available both on site at VPCC or across the street at the Bob Rodale Cycling & Fitness Park.
Infield Access: Trackside rider accommodations are located in the infield of the concrete crater. Riders receive access to the area by showing their bib numbers. Parents, coaches, trainers, administrators, and all other team officials must purchase an infield pass to receive admission across the bridge and into the infield area. A week-long pass, which grants infield admission during all the sessions, is $40. One-day passes, which grant admission during both sessions on a specific day, are $10. Infield passes serve as admission into the facility during ticketed sessions.
Accommodations: VPCC has teamed up with Holiday Inn Conference Center Lehigh Valley to have the location named the Official Lodging Partner and Resort of T-town. Anyone who uses the code “Lehigh Valley Velodrome” when making reservations receives a discounted rate.
Concessions: VPCC’s Beer & Wine Stand will open one hour prior to the evening session each day during the duration of the national championships. The location has several beers on tap from Allentown Beverage and also offers a varied selection of wines from one of the largest wineries in the state, Clover Hill. The A-treat Breakaway Café will be open to serve fans throughout the week. Its menu includes usual sporting event selections and features local Jaindl Turkey BBQ and A-treat soda.
TV: Service Electric, the Official Cable TV and Communications Sponsor of VPCC, is broadcasting portions of Thursday and Friday’s sessions live on TV2 Sports.
Social Media: Results, photos, and videos from the week-long events will be posted on various social media channels. Follow USA Cycling on Twitter @usacycling, on Facebook USA Cycling, and on Instagram @usacycling. Follow VPCC on Twitter @thevelodrome, on Facebook at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, or on Instagram @the_velodrome.
Open Riding: The track is closed to open riding starting at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 25. The track will then be used solely for competition purposes and for warm-up riding time for riders registered in the national championships. The track will be in use the entire week. Please contact the VPCC offices with any questions.
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Tyler Trumbauer
PR/Communications Assistant
Valley Preferred Cycling Center
