Twenty Go-Ride Clubs descended on the brand new Derby Velodrome to learn about an opportunity that will allow their riders regular access to the impressive facility.

The clubs came together for an introduction to the new Midlands track cluster session and were also treated to a guided tour of the new velodrome before the official opening later this year.

British Cycling has club clusters in each region with the purpose being to provide an opportunity for clubs to pool coaches and share expertise, giving young riders a better cycling experience and contributing towards greater rider development.

The track clusters are designed to give young riders their first taste of track riding and give riders the competencies they need to be able to take part in Structured Quality Training (SQT) sessions at these venues and compete in regional races.

All of the clubs involved in the track cluster have at least one level two track coach and have achieved Clubmark status, a cross-sport quality accreditation for clubs with junior sections. A number of the clubs were presented with their Clubmark certificate on the day.

East Midlands regional development manager Anthony Gill said: “Track clusters offer numerous benefits to both clubs and riders, providing exclusive opportunities for riders to access some of the best facilities across the country.

"It’s great that clubs from the Midlands now have access to this facility at Derby.”

The sessions will run on a rotational basis, with clubs able to access the velodrome every three weeks once the facilty has opened.