Management at the London velodrome has committed to ‘explore what else can be done to improve safety’ following the crash which halted Saturday evening’s Track Champions League finale.
Entering the final lap of a first-round keirin race, Alessa-Catriona Pröpster and Katy Marchant appeared to lock handlebars. Unable to separate or steer, the pair left the track, falling headfirst over the arena’s new safety glass and into spectator seating.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority told the BBC that structural engineers had checked the barrier following Saturday’s aborted Track Champions League finale, and found it to be ‘undamaged’.
The track reopened for public use on Monday as planned.
The Authority said in a statement: ‘First and foremost, our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the unfortunate incident on Saturday evening. It was a truly unsettling occurrence and we understand the distress it must have caused to everyone involved.
‘The safety of riders and spectators is an absolute priority for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Our next major event is in autumn 2025 (presumably the London 3 Day, Oct 31 – Nov 2) and we will work with event partners to explore what else can be done at the venue to improve rider and event spectator safety within the rules and technical regulations which govern track cycling.’
Questions have been asked about the height of the new barrier, which was only installed in August. The glass entirely replaced the track’s side wall, meaning that the 1.4 metre height quoted for the glass is the total height.
One suggestion we have seen online is that the height was kept low to ensure riders, particularly shorter and younger riders, could hold on to the top when lined up to start a race or drill.
By way of comparison – and it’s an imperfect one, we accept – the minimum permitted perimeter height in ice hockey’s NHL is 112 inches – 2.8 metres, double the height of the Lee Valley barrier – comprising 40 inches of boards and 6 feet of safety glass (source: NHL 2024-25 rulebook, rule 1.3).
