The USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championship rolls back into Valley Preferred Cycling Center this July, and then again in 2013. With the hope of a natural home track advantage this year and next, Valley Preferred Cycling Center has ramped up efforts secure T-Town’s standing of successful junior cycling. Bob Blaisdell, the director of community cycling programs at Valley Preferred Cycling Center, has launched the new Junior Performance Academy, a weekly program set to start Sunday, May 27.

This program is focused on developing our junior riders into regional, national, and international track cycling sensations. The Junior Performance Academy aims to help junior cyclists become the best they can be through professional cycling instruction and let them discover the tools needed to succeed in this sport.

There will be a focus on the Omnium and how to be competitive at the upcoming Junior Nationals event. These junior riders will learn proper warm-up practices, race-day prep, equipment selection, proper nutrition, recovery methods, tactics/skills, mental preparation, track secrets, and off-bike conditioning methods.

Each weekly session consists of on-bike, off-bike conditioning time as well as classroom time.

Program Leadership: This season’s Junior Performance Academy is a 7-week Junior Nationals preparation program, leading right up to July’s Junior Nationals event. Leading the charge will be Kim Geist and Andy Lakatosh, two professional track cyclists and coaches that have come through all of our development programs, as well as guest appearances by our own Olympic Gold Medalist Marty Nothstein, multi-time world champion Gil Hatton, and a host of other familiar World Series of Bicycling professional racers.

Program Participants: This program targets intermediate to advanced level junior riders, track cycling basics/etiquette should already be an integral part of participants knowledge base.

Eligibility Requirements:
-12-18 years of age (age 10-11 admitted with approval)
-Valid USAC Racing License
-At least one year of BRL/AP Programs or Equivalent Track Cycling Experience
-One year racing experience (USA cycling sanctioned) on road or track.
-Contact Program Director Bob Blaisdell to determine equivalent eligibility.

This is an advanced-level program, so the training and instruction will be more intense than other community cycling programs offered at Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Valley Preferred Cycling Center-owned bicycles are available for use during Junior Performance Academy. However, for optimal results, your own equipment is recommended.

For additional information, please check out our registration page on BikeReg.com.

Forward Thinking: The broad vision for the new Junior Performance Academy is to develop the academy into a year-round program to continue the legacy of home-grown Champions that the Valley Preferred Cycling Center has seen since its inception.

Looking Back: The last time the national show came to T-Town, a kid from Perkasie, Matt Baranoski, led a contingent of good local riders in raking up several medals in a great showing for the hometown crowd. We guess you could say those riders really raised the bar, but then again, the bar has always been pretty high here in T-Town.

In the history of Valley Preferred Cycling Center, our community has seen nearly 150 national champions come out of the velodrome. Regardless of where national are located, be it in California in 2009, Texas in 2011, or wherever else, our junior riders are regularly at the top of the charts.

Are You Inspired? Success and T-Town go hand-in-hand. However, that success is always earned. Valley Preferred Cycling Center has a slate of community programs that help kids find their path to success. If you’re not on par with Junior Performance Academy … yet, there’s always the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program and the competitive Red Robin Marty Nothstein Bicycle Racing League. These two programs are where many of our T-Town champions got there start.

JPA Contact Information: For further information on the Junior Performance Academy, please feel free to contact Bob Blaisdell at bob@thevelodrome.com.

Photo by Anthony Skorochod of Cycling Captured

“Bringing on a partner such as First Niagara really says a lot about our Masters & Rookies racing,” said Marty Nothstein, executive director of Valley Preferred Cycling Center. “This Saturday race series produces a great entertainment value for fans, and attracts a wide range of competitive cyclists across a range of ages, skill levels and geographic areas. We’re excited to have First Niagara along for the ride.”

Even though there’s a new name, the heart of the series is still the same. It’s always been said that this is the opportunity for our newest competitors and our veteran warriors to take center stage at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. The combination of the energetic and the wily makes for some great action on the 333-meter concrete crater.

So, who are these racers? Well, here’s a top-line view of qualifying riders. USAC Categories are Cat 3/4 Women, Cat 5 Men, Cat 4 Men, Cat 1-4 Masters (age 30+), and Juniors race age 10-14.

This Saturday’s event is the first in a 17-week stretch that runs to September 15.

Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. $15 entry fee, and $5 number fee. Racing begins at 12:00 p.m.

Photo by Anthony Skorochod of Cycling Captured

VeloFest begins at 8:30 a.m. at Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Breinigsville, Pa. and runs until about 2:00 p.m.

“People ask me for advice all the time on buying a new bike or new equipment, and I always tell them to wait for VeloFest,” said Marty Nothstein, executive director of Valley Preferred Cycling Center. “You can get unbelievable deals on bikes, equipment, or whatever you need. Any cyclist or fitness enthusiast should check out VeloFest. We’ll have stuff that’s perfect for a seasoned rider or someone who’s just starting out.”

Over 150 vendors will be participating. Up for grabs is a range of items across the road, track, cyclocross and mountain bike, BMX and single speed disciplines, as well as equipment and apparel.

NOTEBOOK:

Flags in the Wind: The venue is all set for tomorrow’s VeloFest, save for a few items left on the to-do list for tomorrow morning. We got all of the vendor lines drawn and the place staked out.  Tomorrow’s VeloFest will have a slightly different look, as the grass is still growing in some areas after we tore up the apron for a new concrete path.

The touch we most enjoyed was raising those flags. Seeing those flags fly in the wind over the track just creates a more “official” status to the beginning of our season.

Thank You, Lehigh County: It’s been a total team effort this week. Here’s a special shout out to the Lehigh County crew that’s been helping get the place ready for an exciting new season of velodrome racing. Among a myriad of new work is a fresh-cut lawn and some new paint in a few places. And, as you can see from the accompanying photo, no project was too big.

Rodale Shakes it Up: Rodale Catering & Events are back for the 2012 Valley Preferred Cycling Center season. The concession stand is ready to go live tomorrow morning. In addition to the usual organic fare from past seasons, Rodale Catering & Events have brought a new item to the menu this year: milk shakes. They’ll have the popular flavors vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. But if you really want to live it up tomorrow, they’ll also have a Cookies & Cream shake at VeloFest.

Some New Brew: Our staple Michelob Ultra will return in 2012, as well as HopDevil from Victory Brewing. Our friends at Allentown Beverage have been very good to us with a revamped lineup.

On draft we’ve got Shock Top, HopDevil, Troeg’s HopBack Amber and Frankenmuth Pilsner. In bottles we have Budweiser Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, LandShark, Duquesne Pilsener, Victory’s Whirlwind, Troeg’s Pale Ale, Lime-A-Rita, and others.

On the Wine Rack: We’ve got some good wine from Clover Hill Vineyards again for the 2012 season. Another insitution of the Brienigsville/Trexlertown area, Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery has been a great partner of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Their distinct lineup of different wines will quench the thirst of many on a hot Friday night this summer. But why wait? Have a glass at VeloFest tomorrow.

Total T-Town Experience: One lucky attendee at this Saturday’s VeloFest is going to win a unique T-Town experience. We’ve pulled out all the stops for this raffle, which is sure to be a hit with cyclists and T-Town fans.

Click here for all the details.

Drop by the Valley Preferred Cycling Center table and enter for your chance to win an awesome Total T-Town Experience.

For Sale: As we do at every VeloFest, Valley Preferred Cycling Center will be selling some old merchandise and other items. There will even be a nice selection of health and fitness books from Rodale up for grabs. We’ll also have some space to sell some equipment.Every dollar counts towards making Valley Preferred Cycling Center a success, and contributes to our great community cycling programs.

Gates open at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. We’ll be dealing until about 2:00 p.m. Tickets are just $8, and kids 12 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit www.thevelodrome.com.

VeloFest is the largest outdoor cycling market on the East Coast, so you definitely don’t want to miss this event.  For all the info on VeloFest, you can click here.

It’s very well-known that T-Town is woven into the fabric of American cycling, so we wanted to offer up one of our most unique prizes yet.

One lucky attendee at this Saturday’s VeloFest is going to win a Total T-Town Experience.

Drop by the Valley Preferred Cycling Center table and enter for your chance to win.  Check out what’s up for grabs in our Grand Prize:

• Two (2) Season Tickets to the 2012 World Series of Bicycling Season
• Two (2) Meal Vouchers from Rodale Catering & Events for a visit to a 2012 World Series of Bicycling event
• One (1) Honorary Starter experience at one 2012 World Series of Bicycling event
• One (1) Official Valley Preferred Cycling Center polo shirt
• One (1) Hour Long Track Cycling Session with Olympic Gold Medalist Marty Nothstein
• One (1) T-Town T-shirt
• One (1) T-Town Hat

and, to top it all off…

• One (1) Entry into the Bicycling Fall Classic, hosted by Bicycling magazine

All the fun starts bright and early on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.  VeloFest will run until about 2:00 p.m.  Tickets are just $8 to get in, while kids 12 and under are admitted free.

The beer is coming, and lots of it, too. Allentown Beverage is bringing a nice range of brews, from trusty name brands of Anheuser-Busch and Victory Brewing to a few new craft beers. And… as always, Rodale Catering & Events will put out a menu of organic food that’s both delicious and healthy.

We’re all set!

Bike shops, manufacturers, individuals, collectors and artists will start dealing bright and early Saturday morning, May 5, at 8:30 a.m. We’ll be dealing until 2:00 p.m. Tickets are just $8 each, and free for kids 12 and under.

While we’re all looking forward to a great event, let’s take a moment and look back at some of images from a past event.

Photos by Anthony Skorochod of Cycling Captured

Thanks to our trusty photog Anthony Skorochod of Cycling Captured, we’ve got a nice bank of images that truly capture the essence of this place.  Most times, though, it becomes quite a chore to narrow all these images down to just one.  That’s why, for our next Facebook Cover Photo, we’re going to let the T-town community chime in.

If you don’t like us yet on Facebook, what are you waiting for you?  Hop on over to www.facebook.com/thevelodrome and join in the conversation.

Now… You decide.  Which one of these images should be our next Facebook Cover Photo?

We’ll let this poll run for a few weeks.  But… we’ll definitely have your choice up on our Facebook page in short time.  If this vote goes well, perhaps we can just consider this Round 1.

Thanks for voting!