The Joe Ciavola Velodrome is located within Darebin International Sports Centre (DISC) at 281 Darebin Road, Thornbury.
Opened in October 2004 in the lead up to the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, DISC was used as a training and warm-up facility for the track cyclists. It was also the host for the Lawn Bowls competition during the games. DISC was designed and constructed by the Schurmann Architects out of Munster, Germany. The Schurmann family has been designing and constructing more than 125 velodromes around the world since 1925.
The track is 250m long, 7.1m wide with a maximum incline of 42.6 and minimum of 12.8. It was constructed with 400 individual frames of wood, 2,100sqm of Siberian Pine, 53,000 linear metres of laths fixed with 250,000 nails and 1000,000 hammer blows.
The Joe Ciavola Velodrome still hosts a number of star-studded events such as the Melbourne Cup on Wheels and State and National Championship events.
Contact Steven Nicol on steven.nicol@cycling.org.au or 03 8480 3000
If you have a current Cycling Australia race or ride membership, you are able to train at DISC. You will need a Cycling Australia race membership to join our races.
Cycling Victoria offers Come 'n' Try days for those who are not yet Cycling Australia members but would like to try out track cycling. Please contact Steve Nicol at steven.nicol@cycling.org.au to discuss.
There are a number of opportunities to race and train at DISC throughout the week. Click here to find out more. The velodrome is available for booking a private session, click here to see our pricing schedule, and email Steve Nicol on steven.nicol@cycling.org.au for more information and to make a booking.
Only track bicycles are permitted to be ridden on the velodrome. Cycling Victoria has track bicycles and helmets for hire should you require one. The swap put of pedals is not allowed on track hire bikes.
Lycra is the best option for clothing if you are already a cyclist. However, any athletic or sportswear will work just fine if you are trying out track cycling. It can get cold in the velodrome, so we do recommend you bring a light jacket.
We encourage all types of riding and there are no obligations to start racing.
DISC has a capacity of 900 seats and 350 standing spectators to catch all the action of track cycling.
There is a cafe within the facility, as well as vending machines with light snacks and drinks. You are welcome to bring your own food to the velodrome as well, and there is also a number of great cafes nearby.