# Not from Newport? Get to know the Welsh velodrome hosting DerbyWheel

*By Simon | March 31, 2024*

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![newport-inside](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/newport-inside.jpg)

## 󠀁[Not from Newport? Get to know the Welsh velodrome hosting DerbyWheel](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/03/not-from-newport-get-to-know-the-welsh-velodrome-hosting-derbywheel/)󠁿

31 March 2024

The Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales has been chosen to host
DerbyWheel’s test event in the first half of 2024.

The 250m wooden track, in the south Wales city of Newport was opened in November
2003. It was designed and built by the legendary Ron Webb – and was due to be
his last track, until he was coaxed out of retirement to work on the Lee Valley
velodrome for the London 2012 Olympics.

‘I think Newport is a super track,’ Webb
[told Cycling Weekly](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/making-tracks-building-the-olympic-velodrome-53916)
in 2010. ‘But Newport would probably never bring a world record. It’s very
claustrophobic. When you’re going round the bend and leaning over, you don’t get
that big feeling of freedom which you do in Manchester or London.’

[Embed from Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1031348654)

It was
[renamed in honour](https://www.newport.gov.uk/en/Council-Democracy/News/articles/2018/August-2018/Velodrome-to-be-renamed-in-honour-of-Tour-de-France-victor.aspx)
of Geraint Thomas in 2018, soon after the Team Sky rider became the first
Welshman to win the Tour De France.

Thomas, who grew up in nearby Cardiff, had been a regular visitor to the
building since its opening, including as the Olympic team’s holding camp prior
to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, at which Thomas won team pursuit gold.

Although it has a relatively modest seating capacity of just 500, it was chosen
to host the British national track championships in 2022 and 2023, whilst the
National Cycling Centre in Manchester was being refurbished.

It also hosted the British youth & junior and masters championships in 2023; and
stepped in to host the Ukraine track nationals in 2022.

The arena sits within Newport’s International Sports Village, which includes
Dragon Park, the Welsh national football development centre, as well as
facilities for cricket, tennis, swimming and athletics. Just outside the
velodrome is a cycle speedway track, home to one of Newport’s two clubs.

![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mkXlkLOJwtI/maxresdefault.jpg)

Despite attracting a Nato Summit and Ryder Cup golf in recent years, Newport has
a less than stellar reputation as a place to live. But self-deprecating humour
produced not one but two musical tributes based on Jay-Z’s
_Empire State Of Mind_.

London-based filmmaker MJ Delaney, now best known as an Emmy-winning director on
_Ted Lasso_, found viral success with a
[comic parody in 2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eijc2tGe-zM), later
re-recorded by the BBC and a
[host of Welsh celebrities](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJwzRV3AU9Q) for its
2011 Comic Relief fundraiser.

Local comic hiphop legends Goldie Lookin Chain responded to this encroachment on
their patch with a hastily produced version of their own, namechecking the
Velodrome among other local – _er_ – landmarks.

![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Dx8CZyFM4b4/maxresdefault.jpg)

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** dwnews, velodromes