Kuipke

Kuipke

Ghent Velodrome
Kuipke with covered track
Interactive map of Kuipke
Full name	Kuipke Gent
Location	Citadelpark, Ghent (Belgium)
Coordinates	51°2′19″N 3°43′15″E
Owner	City of Ghent
Capacity	3,000 seats
Surface	wood
Field size	166.67 m (546.8 ft)
Construction
Opened	1927
Renovated	1965
Website
kuipke.be

Kuipke or Citadel Park Velodrome is an indoor velodrome in Ghent, Belgium. It opened in 1927 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1965. It is best known from the Six Days of Ghent, held annually in November.

The velodrome is also used as an event hall for concerts and occasional basketball games. On 21 March 1959 Louis Armstrong performed in the Kuipke, and in 2014, it was the location for the live shows of the Flemish version of The Voice.

History

The first velodrome in Citadel Park in Ghent was built in 1927 to accommodate the Six Days on a fixed location in the city center. The building previously served as a greenhouse and was renamed Sportpaleis Gent. Because of its short track and unusually steep gradient, it was nicknamed "Kuipke" (English: Little Tub). On 12 November 1962 the building was destroyed by fire, after which a second velodrome was opened on the same location in 1965. The new cycling track kept its original size of 167 m and steep bankings, and was officially renamed "Kuipke".

During the Six Days of Ghent in November 2006, Spanish cyclist Isaac Gálvez died after colliding with Dimitri De Fauw and subsequently crashing in the balustrades.

See also

• List of cycling tracks and velodromes