The 2019 edition of Fire on Wheels presented by PSL Cycling Club, which is a UCI Class I international cycling Olympic qualifier will not be held at the National Cycling Velodrome in Balmain, Couva. This is because the velodrome is down for air condition repairs and will not be ready in time for the event which takes place on the weekend of June 1st and 2nd. T&T Olympic Committee president, Brian Lewis, spoke strongly at the launch of the event yesterday at Olympic House on Abercrombie Street, Port-of-Spain.
“One of the failings we have as a country is our inability to build on things and build on success and consolidate success. Here we have an event that’s in its second year - is a UCI Class I event - is an Olympic qualifier, a year and a half out from Tokyo 2020, and truth be told, it must be a disappointment to everyone, including for the SporTT Company that this event cannot be held at the National Cycling Velodrome.”
The Arima Velodrome is now being looked at as an alternative venue for the event. National Technical Director of Cycling, Erin Hartwell, told Guardian Media Sports at the press conference that the “air conditioning issue” is in the process of being repaired but it could take “a number of weeks to a couple of months”. When asked how long the velodrome had been down for air condition repairs, Hartwell said “a number of months”.
PSL’s CEO and Managing Director Desmond Roberts have serious concerns about the venue, mainly because of the weather patterns. He said, “We are not sure when the UCI commissioner arrives in Trinidad if she will want to sanction the event as a Class I event at the Arima Cycling Centre, so that is a major concern.” With the change, Roberts fears the repercussions will be a drop in the number of international cyclists that are willing to come to T&T to take part in the event on the outdoor track. Roberts remained hopeful, however, of a return to the Cycling Velodrome, saying talks would be held after the launch.
Hartwell, however, was adamant the venue hardly matters. He said, “Athletes don’t care where they race. They’re coming here to chase the points and so whether it's indoors or outdoors, that is a non-issue… Athletes are coming to the race to chase those valuable UCI Class I points, and so whether it’s on a grass track, concrete, indoors, wherever, it’s not going to matter.”
The TTOC president didn’t downplay the significance of the event missing out on the cycling facility in central. He went further in his speech to say, “The reality is that a UCI Class I international cycling Olympic qualifier is expected to be held in a world-class cycling velodrome, which we have. This is not to discredit the beautiful Arima Velodrome, and the opportunities that would have now been created by the fact that the Cycling Velodrome I am made to understand has an air condition problem, and that air condition problem has caused a UCI Class I international cycling event, an Olympic qualifier, to be shifted to the borough of Arima.”
This event serves as an Olympic qualifier. Roberts could not say how many foreign riders will be coming to T&T for it.