The Valley Preferred Cycling Center

T-Town continues to leave a mark around the globe. Valley Preferred Cycling Center and its surrounding area was recently the backdrop to two special One News segments on New Zealand television featuring several Kiwi riders that are currently in the area to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

Kiwi riders Rushlee Buchanan, Lauren Ellis, Joanne Kiesanowski, Gemma Dudley and Alison Shanks are in T-T0wn before heading to London.

Links to both spots are below. One spot features the team as they train in Amish country just west of Valley Preferred Cycling Center, while the other is a profile on star rider Alison Shanks.

Follow the links to watch each segment.

Unusual backdrop for Kiwi cyclists (1:59)

Shanks has cross to bear (2:00)

Meanwhile, velodrome intern Emily Nonnemaker recently caught up with the squad earlier this week for quick piece.

T-Town has a long history of attracting the best cyclists from around the globe. The combination of the storied velodrome and the rolling terrain in the surrounding area has been a boon for both racing and training.

In preparation for London’s 2012 Olympic Games the New Zealand Women’s Track Cycling Team are in T-Town for some serious training. Rushlee Buchanan, Lauren Ellis, Joanne Kiesanowski, Gemma Dudley, and Alison Shanks spent most of the day Tuesday going hard and giving it their all. It isn’t the first time the Kiwi girls rode T-Town’s world renowned track, and they don’t plan on it being the last. New Zealand’s women’s Olympic track cycling team often comes out to T-Town to practice when New Zealand’s winter stops them from training outdoors, and returns to New Zealand when it gets too cold in the US. It is always summer for the Kiwi Women’s Cycling Team; every competitive cyclist’s dream. Rushlee Buchanan, has raced at T-Town before, but doesn’t plan on it this year. Her primary focus is preparing for the 2012 London Olympics. She will be taking part alongside her teammates in the Female Endurance category of cycling in the Olympic Games, this year. Coming to T-Town to prepare has been somewhat nostalgic for Buchanan.

Buchanan remarked on her experiences in T-Town, “I live in a place similar in New Zealand with a big outdoor track. This is the best place in America, really, that we could be with track racing. There are awesome roads to train on, and really cool people.”

Buchanan has represented New Zealand in the World Championships and has broken a world record. As far as her biggest accomplishment, Buchanan didn’t hesitate to show her excitement for making it to the London Games. The whole team is buzzing with competitive spirit and energy. Lauren Ellis, New Zealand’s 2012 National Champion in road cycling and 2007 Beijing Team Pursuit champion along with teammates Jaime Nielsen and Alison Shanks, is looking forward to the Olympics and traveling to London.

Ellis commented on her traveling experience saying, “I love traveling. It’s our job so we’re pretty lucky that we get to do what we love and see the world.”

Ellis definitely embodies the spirit of cycling setting long term goals for her career. She will be participating in the London Olympics Team Sprint with Jaime Nielsen and Allison Shanks. She is looking forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympic Games; definitely setting her sights on the prize.

Ellis and most of teammates live in New Zealand and come to the US to train; however one member of the cycling team has made herself a second home in the US. Joanne Kiesanowski has lived in the US for ten years now. This year Kiesanowski will participate in her third Olympic games; marking her as a tough competitive rider. She will be riding in the Women’s Omnium Event. Kiesanowski lives with her husband in Colorado and spends, like her teammates, most of her time training either in the heat of Colorado, or at T-Town.

“I’ve raced here a lot. My first time here was in’ 99. The crowds are awesome. The fans really get into it, and really support their local riders. They also support international riders, I think. It’s really nice to come here and have the support of a friendly crowd. It’s really nice to have other internationals come here as well to race throughout the season.” Says Kiesanowski.

Gemma Dudley, Kiesanowski’s teammate, and reserve for New Zealand’s Olympic Team, is dedicated to the sport and her team.

“We train six days a week, really. On the bike, in the gym- We do a lot of different things. Cycling takes up so much of your time. You ride for maybe most of the day, and then you get home and you’re so tired that you don’t really do much but go home and recover. It’s pretty much a 24 hour 7 day a week thing,” comments Dudley.

All of the Kiwi girls are incredibly competitive cyclists with high sight and records behind them. Allison Shanks, winner of the World Championships in Melbourne, knows the importance of dedication and training.

Shanks remarks, “Between now and the Olympics we don’t have any more competitions, it’s focusing on training.”

Here’s to wishing the girls Good luck in the 2012 Summer Olympics. They are definitely working hard and have the right attitude for competition.