The Valley Preferred Cycling Center

Dave Lettieri and Ian Jackson - Hall of Fame Class of 2010

Valley Preferred Cycling Center will induct two new members into its Hall of Fame this Friday night during Salamander Madison Cup XXXIV presented by Life Without Lupus. This year’s class includes a couple of significant “firsts” for the velodrome.

Ian Jackson, or “The General” as many fans know him, is the first Australian cyclist to spend the summer in T-town. He’s joined by Scranton’s Dave Lettieri, who has the distinction of being the first Air Products Developmental Cycling Program graduate to make an Olympic team. Lettieri graduated the program in 1977 and competed in the 1988 Seoul Games.

“This class is a phenomenal representation of the great cyclists we’ve had here,” said Marty Nothstein, executive director of Valley Preferred Cycling Center. “Ian Jackson, always a crowd-favorite, was one of the strongest riders we’ve ever had here on the track. Dave Lettieri, the first Olympian to come out of the Air Products program, is just fantastic. He set the bar early on, and many have followed since. It’s going to be a great night to honor these guys and get them into the Hall of Fame.”

Being inducted into the Hall is no small feat. The voting panel includes current Hall of Famers, so to get the nod from other cycling greats is a tremendous show of respect for anyone inducted.

Another thing that makes the annual Hall of Fame ceremony special in T-town is that it’s sort of a throwback to the loyal, longtime fans. It’s a night to see their heroes of yesteryear come back and salute the crowd. For the new fans, we’ve got you covered. Here are the bios of our 2010 Hall of Fame class:

Ian “The General” Jackson: From Melbourne, Ian “The General” Jackson was the first of many Australians to make the T-Town Velodrome his home. After racing in Belgium for three years, the rugged 22-year old quickly became a Velodrome crowd favorite. His cunning and speed earned him repeated wins on the track in 1975 through 1984, including the 1984 Madison Cup victory with teammate Jeff “The Rocket” Rutter.

In 1981 Ian turned pro for America’s Panasonic/Shimano team where his winning style and Aussie accent made him an ideal spokesman for the renewal of pro cycling in America. In addition to his countless victories on the track, Ian won some of the most prestigious American road races and criteriums of the era including New York City’s “Apple Lap”, Washington DC’s “National Capital Open”, Raleigh, NC’s “Capital Cup” and the “Witches Cup” of Salem, Massachusetts.

After retiring from pro racing, Ian served as the Velodrome’s Technical Director from 1985 to 1987. He continued to race competitively, winning two Masters National Road Championships in 1988 and 1998.

Dave Lettieri: Dave Lettieri, from Scranton, PA, is the first cyclist from the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program to compete in the Olympic games. This grassroots cycling program was instrumental in launching his career. After being coached in 1977 by Nelson Saldana and Jerry Ash, Dave went on to win multiple Pennsylvania State Track and Road Championships. In 1979 Dave was the Intermediate National Track Champion. In 1981 he won the Junior National Pursuit Championship in Trexlertown. In 1982, he won the Junior National Track Omnium and Individual Pursuit Championship.

After leaving the junior ranks, his success followed him. In 1983, he won the National Team Pursuit Championship. In 1985 Dave placed fifth in the Team Pursuit at the World Championships in Italy, followed by a return to the World Championships in 1986 and 1987.

Lettieri competed in the Goodwill Games in Moscow in 1986. In 1987, he won the National Team Pursuit Championship in Trexlertown. The same year, Dave’s gold medal for Team Pursuit at the Pan-American Games in Indianapolis earned him a spot on the USA Team Pursuit squad for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Following his racing career, Dave managed professional teams from 1992 through 1996, and was Lance Armstrong¹s personal mechanic during the 2000 Tour De France. He currently resides in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he owns a popular bicycle shop.

Induction Ceremony: Jackson and Lettieri will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during Friday night’s Salamander Madison Cup XXXIV presented by Life Without Lupus at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. Racing starts at 7:30. With tickets starting at just $5.00 and kids 12 and under getting in FREE, this event will be a fun night out for the entire family. Fans can also take advantage of great all-organic food at the Breakaway Café concession stand. Gates open at 5:30, with a live band in the Mayfair Music Series presented by Lehigh Valley Grand Prix.