Work on £8m cycle park near Gravesend under way
Work has begun on an £8m cycle park in north Kent, which is expected to attract thousands of cyclists once it is completed in 2012.
The "cyclo-park" near Gravesend is set to be at least three times bigger than the Olympic Velopark in London.
It will boast a 1.7m (2.8km) road race circuit and have an international standard BMX track.
It has the backing of Olympic gold medal cyclist and world record holder Jamie Staff, from Ashford.
Laurence Tricker, project manager, said the facility had been described as one of the largest "cyclo-parks" in Europe.
"It is 43 hectares, running along the southern boundary of Gravesend, and will have outstanding world-class facilities for both residents in the area and the community of Kent, and beyond," he said.
Mr Tricker said parts of the park would be free, while other parts would attract a fee in order to generate income to help with its management.
"There will be a lot of price differences depending on the type of events and how competitive it is," he said.
The cycle park is due to open in March next year, and Mr Tricker said officials had already held discussions with cycling teams keen to train there ahead of the London Olympics.