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The Avantidrome, New Zealand’s National Cycling Centre of Excellence, has been officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

With Prime Minister John Key in attendance, the Royal couple opened the new home of New Zealand cycling, with officials from the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust taking the opportunity to present Prince George with his first bike.

Commenting on the new $28 million velodrome, Prince William stated “it’s a great honour to share the Avanti home for future winners.”

The Royal pair joined a crowd of 1,500 people to watch New Zealand’s world-champion sprinters showed their winning form, before meeting some of Waikato’s most well-known Olympians.

Located just outside of the Waikato town of Cambridge, the Avanitdrome is intended to be home to New Zealand’s cycling elite as well as serving as a catalyst for the growth of cycling. Designed to be the country’s only international UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale - International Cycling Union) standard velodrome, it is also capable of hosting a world championship or commonwealth games as well as a wide range of other specialist cycling events.

The Centre was designed to house a 250 metre track, 2,000 permanent seats (expandable up to 4,000), a high performance training centre with an accompanying gymnasium, retail, a large function centre and home to Bike New Zealand who administer New Zealand’s elite cycling program.

Commenting on the opening, Home of Cycling Chief Executive Geoff Balme stated “we’re thrilled to officially open this world-class facility to the community in such stellar company. It reinforces the fact that the new Avantidrome is a facility of national significance that puts Cambridge and the Waikato on the map as a key area of sporting opportunity and excellence.

“Providing programmes that cater for all ages and abilities at the grassroots level, right through to being the new home for BikeNZ’s elite riders, including newly crowned World Champions; Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins, this spectacular facility will continue to draw people into the area and put our riders up on the world stage.

“TriNZ and their High Performance programme have also begun to use this facility as their base.”

Balme says none of this would have been possible without the support of the Avantidrome’s key backers who have assisted in its four year development.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received for this facility. These contributors have shared our vision of creating an asset that will benefit members of the community and the wider region for years to come. Funding came from a partnership between central, regional and local government as well as community trusts, corporate sponsors and around 200 philanthropic sources.”

Click here to visit the Avantidrome website. 

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