Kuipke
 |
Ghent Velodrome | |
 Kuipke with covered track | |
 | |
| Full name | Kuipke Gent |
|---|---|
| Location | Citadelpark, Ghent (Belgium) |
| Coordinates | 50°02′17″N 3°43′15″W / 50.03806°N 3.72083°W |
| Owner | City of Ghent |
| Capacity | 3,000 seats |
| Field size | 166,67 meters (548 ft) |
| Surface | wood |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1927 |
| Renovated | 1965 |
| Website | |
| kuipke | |
Kuipke or Citadel Park Velodrome is an indoor cycle-racing track in Ghent, Belgium. It opened in 1927 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1965. It is best known from the Six Days of Ghent, held annually in November.
The first velodrome in Citadelpark in Ghent was built in 1927 to accomodate the Six Days on a fixed location in the city center. The building previously served as a greenhouse and was renamed Sportpaleis Gent. Because of its short track and unusually steep gradient, it was nicknamed "Kuipke" (English: Little Tub). On 12 November 1962 the building was destroyed by fire, after which a second velodrome was opened on the same location in 1965. The new cycling track was officially named "Kuipke".[1]
The velodrome is also used as an event hall for concerts and occasional basketball games. On 21 March 1959 Louis Armstrong performed in the Kuipke. The current track director is former track specialist Patrick Sercu.[2]
During the Six Days of Ghent in November 2006, Spanish cyclist Isaac Galvez died after colliding with Dimitri De Fauw and subsequently crashing in the balustrades.[3][4]
References
- ^ "De geschiedenis van het Kuipke in Gent". Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "'t Kuipke". VisitGent. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Galvez killed in track collision". BBC Sport. 2006-11-26. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Spanish sprinter Isaac Gálvez crashes hard at Gent Six Day, dies on way to hospital". Cyclingnews.com. 2006-11-26. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
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