A WORLD cycling champion had voiced her support for cycling infrastructure in the northern suburbs.
Marianne Vos, who was in WA for three weeks in November with her WM3 squad for team bonding and pre-season training, told a Cycliq cameraman that she got involved in the bike park proposal for Alkimos last year.
“In Holland, it’s normal for us to ride on safe roads and closed circuits – in Australia its not,” she said.
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READ NOW“It’s good for kids to have an environment, a safe zone to ride on.
“I hope the bike park will be something big and will encourage children, and enjoy the freedom I have on the bike.”
Northern Beaches Cycling Club’s facilities development director Chris Howard said after Vos first visited WA in 2016, she did research and found the Netherlands had more than 60 bike park facilities where people could ride for recreation and sport.
“Vos then agreed to become an ambassador for such a facility in the coastal corridor of Perth,” he said.
“She has taken a real interest in a facility on the other side of the planet.
“The bike park would accommodate a rider education centre for primary school children, a 1km training and racing circuit and a mountain biking course, and would be the first of its kind in WA.
“It would also accommodate other wheeled sports such as in-line speed skating and wheeled sports for those with disabilities.
“The endorsement is timely as the City of Wanneroo has recently commenced a cycling master planning process for the north coast corridor.”
Dr Howard said Vos had 12 world championship titles across four disciplines of cycling – mountain biking, cyclocross, track and road – and was a two times Olympic gold medallist and current European road champion.
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