Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association

Hello Race Fans!

Sorry to give the appearance of our project stalling out but rest assured we are, and have been, on task. It took us 28 months to finally receive our 501c3 staus from the IRS.

We are currently trying to arrange a meeting with the following groups that have shown an interest in pursuing our project out at Granite Regional Park…

Dain Domich
Partner – Separovich/Domich Real Estate Development

Scott Wolcott
VP – Granite Land Company

Jim Combs
Director Parks and Recreation, City of Sacramento
Mary de Beauvieres
Principal Planner – Park Planning and Development Services

Kevin McCarty – Councilmember District 6
Maria Alvarez – District Director

Stantec – design and consulting services in planning, engineering,
architecture, surveying, and project management.

So far it appears we have created the perfect storm…stay tuned.

Regards,
Dino

Hello Race Fans and Bicycle Advocates!

The Bicycle Business is throwing a private party on private property to raise funds and awareness for the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association and the GHETO Project, a cyclocross development group supporting under-represented and/or new racers. This event will be held on a private horse ranch in West Sacramento on a 1/4 mile horse track. One lap qualifying time trials begin at 11am and the first four-up 2-lap heat will start at 1:30. We should be done between 4-5pm.

We supply great spectator bike racing, Two Rivers Cider, and a grassy knoll to relax and heckle.

You bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, a picnic lunch, and a pocket full of CASH for our Pick the Winner Challenge. There will be prizes for those that win the most funny money.

There is plenty of parking available in the field next door, but we suggest you ride your bike for the full experience.

When: Saturday September 8th, qualifying time trials start at 11am and racing starts at 1:30
Where: 3960 Gregory Avenue, West Sacramento, CA 95691

Please remember this is a private party on private property.

We do need some VOLUNTEERS for those so inclined. Short shifts available from 10am to around 5pm

Thanks!
Dean Alleger

PS Bring cash!!!

Who is Dean Alleger and why is he so passionate about getting a track built in the Sacramento region? Back in January of 2011, Dean had written a blogpost about his thoughts on the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Project. He went into detail about how he got his start as a cyclist and gravitated toward track racing. Dean’s personal qualifications include being a USA Cycling Level 2 coach; which includes 3 separate weeks of training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He’s been a professional bicycle mechanic for 8 years. Athletically, he has raced a multitude of disciplines that include the track, BMX, criteriums and ultra-endurance road events.

What got you into track racing?

Back in 2003 he was inspired by the urban culture of bike messengers and fixed gear bikes and decided to get one of those ‘goofy’ bikes. He had heard that they were simple to maintain and easy to lock up while traveling about. He had heard the old school axiom that you should ride your first 1,000 miles or so of the off season (which generally begins in September for most cyclists) on a track bike. The reasoning behind this belief is based on the suppleness one develops riding a fixed gear bicycle rather than one with gears where coasting is allowed. A few short years later, his friend and now local dominating Elite bike racer, Mary Maroon, started racing track at Hellyer Park Velodrome in San Jose California. He was immediately inspired to purchase a track race bike of his own and participated in his first beginner session(s) during the winter of 2006-2007. He was immediately hooked.

He was driven to excel at the sport and earn his upgrade as a track racer so that he could participate in ‘big money’ races called omniums, or velodrome challenges. A few years later, in 2009, he and his wife were going full throttle, participating in all the summer events at Hellyer as well as an annual event held in Portland called the Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge.

There is a unique environment in track racing where often times women race with men because of the extremely small women’s field sizes. Large age ranges and abilities participate together and there is a close camaraderie that is nurtured between the racers.

While up in Portland, he distinctly remembers thinking ‘This is what I want to do with the rest of my life.’

What motivated you to start the Sacramento Valley Velodrome campaign?

Dean and his wife both reside in the Sacramento area and the closest velodrome is the Hellyer Park Velodrome in San Jose. A roughly 2 hour drive one way, with races beginning in the late evening, this puts them home after midnight each time they go and race. He learned of a previous grass roots campaign to get a velodrome here in the Sacramento region many years ago that died out. His participation in the omnium events and networking with everyone he could about track racing and building a velodrome in the Sacramento area during his 2010 season put a lot of perspective on what it takes to run a successful velodrome program. Surprisingly, he gathered that building the track was the easy part. It’s the people and the continued support of the program that proves to be the challenge; which is why so many velodromes have been closed over the years. Madison Square Garden in New York City was named after Madison style racing on a velodrome that no longer exists, during the infamous 6-day races in the early 1900’s.

What’s the plan?

Through all of his research and networking, Alleger determined that the best scenario involved having a healthy non-profit association set up to run the racing and the programs. A municipal property run by the parks commission and funded by a combination of private benefactors as well as sponsorship and revenue from holding events themselves would keep the facility running on a daily basis.

What would track racing look like here in Sacramento?

Now that Dean has completed two winter sessions of the Savage Sprints, he is working on the next steps to getting a velodrome built here as well as providing a steady income for him and his wife to help support his dream. Once the velodrome is built, he is excited about starting a junior program, running a summer twilight series where they will hold match sprints, chariot races and time trials; all on fixed gear bikes. Spectators are sure to be entertained.

Dean has found a strong network of friends, mentors and promoters within the cycling and track community that has helped to fuel his mission. He has earned their respect and feels that it’s only a matter of time before a track in the Sacramento Valley becomes a reality. He feels that his approach is unique from past attempts to get a velodrome here.

Those that have tried in the past failed to recognize that a movement is not made of concrete, wood or steel but of people that are unafraid to dream.

What would it mean to have a track in Sacramento? ‘In a word, incredible’ was Mike Sayers’ answer to my first question during our interview.  Dean Alleger had asked if Mike would be on the board of directors for the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association last winter and he was happy to participate.  Since retiring from professional bicycle racing, Mike has been an assistant director sportive for BMC Professional Cycling team based out of Santa Rosa California.  He was a professional cyclist for over 14 years both in the United States, Europe and the Pacific.  He is also a two-time member of the US World Championship Team (2002, 2003).  Although the majority of his career was spent racing on the road, Sayers greatly values what track racing can do for any cyclist.  He said that it would enhance what is already an excellent cycling community.  It would open up cycling to different demographics in this area that don’t normally get into bicycle racing.  He feels that it would significantly improve the sport at the city, state and national level.  To have the ability to bring national and international level events to Sacramento to compete would fit a niche and fill in some niches that have been recently vacated by track and field etc.  The Sacramento Sports Commission had been working on prestigious events like the National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships but those competitions have recently left Sacramento.  Velodromes are unique in that they are limited in number and would create a place that would bring in revenue not only for the venue itself but also for the city.  The monetary benefit from hotels, restaurants etc already seen by active Velodromes are pretty significant.  ‘Whatever money the city would put into it, if any, would come back 100 fold over time.’

Rider development

When asked how the current professionals got started on the track, Mike said that most of them started off as pursuitors or team pursuitors in the national program; a lot like the national academy that the British have.

‘The British have completely turned around their cycling program by basing it on the track.’

Many of the professional cyclists from Britain that are competing at the pro tour level started off on the track as kids and it is evident how successful their program has been, especially over the last five years.  In the United States however, there hasn’t been as much transition from the track to the road since the pursuit program ended.  It was popular in the early and mid-90’s and many of the athletes transitioned nicely from the track to professional road teams.  The Australians did the same thing during the 90’s also and their program was centered around the Olympics to develop their riders on the track.  Some of Australia’s most successful road cyclists all started on the track like Baden Cooke, Stuart O’Grady & Bradley McGee.  The idea was to get them racing with the intention of taking them to the Olympics and then afterwards helping them to further their career on the road.

‘Americans need to do THAT because it’s proven to be such a successful recipe.’

Mike feels that all we need are the right development programs and the right coaching to push riders on the track and beyond.  Track racing is really good for cycling as a whole and it starts at the junior regional level and transcends all the way to the international level.

Sacramento Valley Velodrome Board of Directors role

Right now Sayers is hoping to help bring media exposure and to help raise money to help the program move forward.  As he has more time in the future, he would like to be involved on a day to day basis scouting out and recruiting riders and getting involved with the racing and development.   In the future, as track racing becomes a nearly daily occurrence, he hopes to participate at least on a weekly basis.  It’s also important to him that the general public is educated on what track racing is.  Getting kids involved now as a result of public knowledge is vital to developing those skills young.  The track is a very spectator friendly venue and all the successful tracks in the nation have weeknight events for the public.