Inside the Pringle: A stifling 82F, this airless cauldron of sound and fury is the ultimate sporting venue

By ROBERT HARDMAN

Sir Chris Hoy had earned himself an extra medal before he’d even pulled the first super-strength Lycra over those elephantine thighs last night.
The elder statesman of British cycling has been a key adviser in the design of London’s Olympic Velodrome.
Yesterday, it made a sensational Games debut, with Sir Chris at the heart of it all. And it is no exaggeration to say that this venue is one of the most extraordinary experiences of this or any other Olympics.

The airless interior of the Velodrome made for a loud, electric atmosphere last night when Chris Hoy helped secure another gold medal for Great Britain

For Sir Chris has not only helped to create the fastest track in the world (I noted four new Olympic and two new world records in the first half an hour yesterday, and then gave up counting).
He has also assisted architects in producing what is surely the loudest, hottest and most electric venue at these Games.
The merest mention of a British name last night had the whole place jumping – and with nowhere to go, the noise just reverberated around this airless pocket of sound and fury.

Cauldron of noise: Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish fly around the Velodrome track, watched by the fervent home support

Beneath the velodrome’s award-winning cedar roof – likened variously to a falling autumn leaf, a Stradivarius violin and, more widely, a Pringle crisp – the airtight membrane has created the ultimate sporting environment.
It was Sir Chris’s idea to keep the temperature at a fetid 28C (82F) on the basis that warmer air offers less resistance. Hence all those records tumbling yesterday.
And just to ensure that there is no chance of a draught (these cyclists are notoriously fussy about the tiniest cross-wind), the whole place has been designed with air-locked doors.

The Velodrome's iconic design has been likened to a falling autumn leaf and also a 'Pringle' crisp

So, it’s rather like walking into a high-security unit.
You go through one door but then have to wait until it’s shut before they open the next one. The national flags hanging from the ceiling – not a smidgeon of a flutter from any of them – are perfect proof that the system works faultlessly.
But it cannot be denied that with 188 elite athletes sweating away in front of 6,000 gently perspiring members of the public, this place also packs a bit of a pong.

At £93m, the Velodrome cost just a third as much as the aquatic centre, and has already scooped architectural awards

The only ventilation is described as ‘natural’. The cyclists will not have been the only ones wanting a shower the moment they got out last night. Whatever you do, don’t bring a coat.
A lot has been made of the party atmosphere at the beach volleyball this week. But this trumps it. The beach event is outdoors, and many seats in the upper reaches on Horse Guards offer a better view of the London skyline than of sand and skimpies. Here in the velodrome, everyone is on top of the track.

Made to measure: It was Sir Chris Hoy's idea to keep the temperature inside the Velodrome at 28C (82F), as warm air offers less resistance.



source: dailymail