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In search of medals at the Brazilian Championship, track cycling athletes prepare at the Olympic Velodrome
Published on 28/01/2025 - 11:30 | Updated
The Velodrome was the stage for cycling at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games - Theo Theodoro/City of Rio The Olympic Velodrome in Barra da Tijuca is hosting cyclists this month who are training for the Brazilian Track Cycling Championship. Among them are promising young cyclists such as Bernardo Nolasco and Ana Carolina Esteves from Rio de Janeiro. The competition, organized by the Brazilian Cycling Confederation, will be held at the municipal velodrome in Indaiatuba, São Paulo, between February 16 and 23. The event is aimed at the youth/youth/junior categories and high-performance (Under-23/Elite) categories for both men and women.
– The Olympic Velodrome has one of the fastest tracks in the world and I am happy to see these young people, who started here, training and winning many titles. It is the legacy that is being maintained. Last year we hosted the Paralympic Cycling World Championship and we are always seeking to promote the sport – said the municipal secretary of Sports, Guilherme Schleder.
The cycling venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Velodrome was where young Bernardo Nolasco began practicing the sport through a social project in 2019, at the age of 12. During the pandemic, he took the opportunity to intensify his training at home and is now celebrating his achievements. State and Brazilian track cycling champion, Bernardo was invited by a team from Portugal to train there this season and will travel there right after the Brazilian championship.
– In a few days we will compete in the Brazilian Championship and it is great to be able to train at the Velodrome. I started here, in the flat area in the center of the track, which served as a warm-up area, to get used to cycling. With Godoy’s encouragement, I moved to the track and got excited about the sport. I am training three times a day, with a lot of specific training and this opportunity has been very positive for us.
Ana Carolina Esteves, who also started her career at the Velodrome and stands out in the sport, started practicing the sport in 2021, after seeing an advertisement for classes there. She fell in love with cycling and, the following year, participated in her first Brazilian championship. Since then, Carol, as she is known, has been collecting achievements. In 2023, she won six medals, out of the eight competitions she participated in and qualified for the Pan American Games in the sport. The competition will be in February, in Asunción.
– This will be my first year competing in the elite, in the under-23 category, and I am very happy. Being able to train at the Velodrome is special, because this space is very important in my career. Without it, I would not have discovered track cycling and would not have had the opportunity to reach the Pan-American Games.
Marcelo Godoy, track director of the Rio de Janeiro State Cycling Federation (FECIERJ), helps train athletes and is one of those responsible for the success of young people like Bernardo and Carol. Always attentive to the needs of cyclists on the track, Godoy talks about the satisfaction of seeing their progress in the sport.
– Right after the Olympic Games, we started a social project at UFF to promote sports. In 2019, the project ended, but I stayed here, along with the students who had stood out, like Bernardo. Seeing these young people progress in cycling is a lifelong dream, a huge achievement. Being able to help not only develop athletes, but also develop citizens. This is the greatest achievement that sports has given me.
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