St Albans cyclist lands Olympic legacy role

A former professional cyclist has been given a major role managing an Olympic Legacy venue set to reopen to the public this year.

St Albans resident Jez Cox has been appointed assistant manager of the Lee Valley VeloPark at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where he will coach and race as well as liaising with community groups and cycling clubs.

The 36-year-old former British number one duathlete has 84 gold medals under his belt and was once described by the Sunday Times as “more machine than man” due to his successes.

He said of his new role: “It’s an exciting time to be a part of this fantastic venue; four disciplines in one space has simply never been seen before.

“To see a mixture of ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ road cyclists, muddy mountain bikers and ‘sharp-elbowed’ track cyclists, all in one venue, will be a great experience. It may even help break down those barriers between the different communities.”

The VeloPark will include the Velodrome, a remodelled Olympic BMX track, a 1.6km floodlit road circuit and 9km of mountain biking trail – the first venue in the world to have all these four features in one place.

Olympic champion Chris Hoy famously set a new world record in the Velodrome at last year’s London games and the “Pringle” shaped building has become an iconic part of the East London landscape.

It will reopen this March for training sessions. For more information visit www.visitleevalley.org.uk/velopark