Velodrome reopens after dome collapse

The Lexus Velodrome has reopened after being closed for more than a month. The bicycle racing facility lost power on Dec. 13 and a damaged part kept the generator from kicking in. The huge inflated dome that sits at I-75 and Mack in Midtown deflated and collapsed.

“In essence, we had a very strong and thick tarp that was over everything,” says Dale Hughes, the executive director of the Detroit Fitness Foundation, which operates the Lexus Velodrome.

“We had light poles over the cycling track and those punctured the material … Our challenge was how to repair the holes and then re-inflate.”

While the dome was down, snow and rain created new challenges.

“Then there was water that then turned into ice that we had to break up and remove off the dome material,” Hughes says.

He says they put a call out to the community that supports the velodrome to help break up the ice and remove it from the dome. Staff and volunteers helped to clean and restore the facility after the dome was re-inflated. The building reopened on Jan. 31.

Listen: Dale Hughes of the Lexus Velodrome talks about the organization’s mission to cultivate elite athletes.

An elite team of young racers

Now that the Lexus Velodrome has reopened, its world-class Olympic-style cycling track will once again accommodate races, training and recreational cycling. Kids 17 and younger can access the facility and its programs for free. A walking program for seniors is also free.

The Eddie Tolan running track, also called the ET Oval, is used for walking, running, skating and events. Eddie Tolan won two gold medals in the 1932 Olympics. The Velodrome sits in Tolan Park.

There is a fitness studio, free weights area and bar.

Hughes says teaching kids to ride their bikes is one of the biggest goals of the organization.

“We have free learn to ride your bike programs for youngsters. We have free learn to ride the track and learn to race the track. So we have an elite team of juniors that race. They’ve traveled to the national championships and came home with several gold medals and silver and bronze.”

Hughes says one youth rider is training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado this month.

“Our goal goes from just trying to get people active to seeing if we can find some real engines here in the Detroit area that can go on and maybe even make the Olympic Games,” Hughes says.

The first races since reopening will be the Re-inflation 2-Day Race on Feb. 18 and 19.