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| FORT MILL
ride in a nurturing environment and learn skills from qualified coaches. You can exercise for fun or competition and you can participate with your kids,” he says. “The leadership and partnership between private citizens and the City of Rock Hill in order to make this happen is truly remarkable and something the citizens of this region can be proud of and will benefit from for years to come,” Lueders says.
Spencer Lueders with his bike at the Giordana Velodrome
the vision. “The town had a similar feeling to Rock Hill. We attended a Friday evening racing event that pulled hundreds from the community to come out and enjoy the racing,” says Lueders, “That was a pivotal moment in showing the viability and attractiveness of such a facility.” A second trip followed to a velodrome outside of Fort Lauderdale with Mayor Doug Echols which established more excitement for the project. “Another key event was the economic impact study conducted by Clemson University,” says Lueders. “The economics illustrated through that study showed the velodrome alone was a strong economic driver for the region.”
David Vehaun and their respective staff, we would not be where we are today,” says Lueders. What does this mean for the surrounding communities? “It means you can go ride bikes in a safe location, free of traffic, says Lueders, “Your kids can
USA Cycling has endorsed the velodrome which will host several high caliber competitive events while also exposing locals and amateurs to the experience of cycling as a sport. Thad Fischer is the Cycling Coordinator for the City of Rock Hill and is responsible for bringing in events to the facility. Cycling is in his blood, too. Fischer says he s been on a bike for as long as he can remember. His background includes 35 years of managing cycling teams and coordinating special events like the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium. “Velodromes were very popular in the area at the turn of the century,” says Fischer, “Winthrop and Pineville each had a velodrome in the past.” As Rock Hill s Riverwalk was being developed, this brought a new opportunity. “The developers of Riverwalk understood the quality of a
The positive evidence had stacked up and city officials made a stronger push to bring the velodrome vision to life. The project just needed a home. That s when Dave Williams, the developer of Riverwalk, stepped into the picture. Live, work and play would best describe the 1000 acre Riverwalk community. “The cycling amenities being built at Riverwalk even surpass what we originally proposed,” says Lueders, “Without Dave Williams and City Manager had ischer peers out over the new Velodrome ortmillmagazine.com
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