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City of Wollongong

Sneak Peek! Take a look at the new Illawarra Criterium Track

Monday 29 August 2022

The city’s first criterium track is almost ready to open and promises to be an exciting new facility for our community to ride, skate or scoot.

Work started on the track in Lindsay Maynes Park in Unanderra earlier this year and is due to be completed in time for the 2022 AusCycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships in September.

A criterium track is a self-contained road circuit that can be used for criterium races and training. The purpose-built track at Lindsay Maynes Park caters to riders of all levels and provides an opportunity to ride and race on a closed-loop course.

For those who aren’t familiar with criterium or “crit” racing, it’s simply a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed, off-road circuit. It’s one of the fastest forms of bike racing as it favours cyclists who excel at speed instead of endurance.

We’ve designed the asphalt track so that it’s suitable for all ages and skillsets and ranges between six and eight metres wide, allowing for multiple riders and safe overtaking opportunities. While it can it be used by professional cyclists, it’s also perfect for community members using non-motorised equipment such as rollerblades or scooters when not in use for cycling events.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that there were still some remaining landscaping and tidy up works to be done, but the majority of the works were now completed.

“We‘re really excited to see this track nearing completion with just a few finishing touches to complete over the next few weeks,” Cr Bradbery said.

“After the works have wrapped up, the track is able to be used by community members who are keen to give it a go. This is an incredible asset for our broader community who are looking for a safe, off-road place to ride a bike, rollerblade or scooter.’’

Image: The Illawarra Criterium Track is almost ready to go! We'll update community members on Council's Facebook page.

Wollongong City Council Acting General Manager Linda Davis said the criterium track was an important piece of infrastructure to support safer riding skills whether people were on a bike, skateboard or scooter.

“As we prepare to welcome the world’s top cyclists to our city next month, we know there is a keen focus on cycling opportunities right across our city,’’ she said.

“As a UCI Bike City, we’re focussed on delivering a wide range of cycling infrastructure that will support our community to be active and to participate in a range of outdoor pursuits. This investment will be one of the legacies of bringing this prestigious international event to our city.

“The criterium track will provide a dedicated off-road riding opportunity for local cycling clubs for their race days, training and skills development. However, its use is not limited to elite or aspiring cyclists. It links into our growing city-wide cycling network of shared paths, on-road cycleways, the Mountain Bike Park at Cringila Hills, and community bike tracks that provide diverse riding opportunities.’’

It is important that the community be patient and avoid using the criterium track until all construction fencing is removed for your safety. We’ll let you know once it’s ready to go by posting updates on the Wollongong City Council Facebook page.

The Lindsay Maynes Park Criterium Track is proudly funded by Round 8 of the NSW Government’s Resources for Regions program, which contributed $750,000 to the project in association with other funds from the Dendrobium Community Enhancement Program.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said Resources for Regions has been very successful, with Rounds One through to Eight delivering 242 projects worth $420 million to mining communities since 2012.

“Mining plays a very important part in the NSW economy, supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the state and it will continue to play a role in Wollongong for years to come,” Mr Toole said.

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting regional mining towns that supply our state with these precious resources, and I am grateful for Wollongong City Council putting forward these projects which will support the ongoing prosperity of the local community.”

South32 Illawarra Metallurgical Coal Vice President Operations Peter Baker said “At South32, we love supporting our local communities and the new Lindsay Maynes Park Criterium Track is a great initiative that will benefit local people for many years to come.

“Once completed, the track will enable people of all ages and abilities to train, race and exercise in first class surroundings. We’re proud to play a role in helping this project become a reality and can’t wait to see the track being used.”

Want to give it a spin? The Lindsay Maynes Park criterium track is almost ready to open for community members to give it a go. Once open, the criterium track will be available for use by the community from 6am to sunset every day unless booked for training or a specific event.

The criterium track will remain open during the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.

UCI Bike City Wollongong. Australia's only UCI Bike City NSW Government logo


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