I’m putting together charity cycle ride through Europe at the end of May this year which passes through Roubaix – we’d love to stop off at (or even do a lap of) the old velodrome, but i can’t find much info on-line regarding opening times, etc.

Has anyone been there lately? whats the deal?

Thanks in advance..

it’s open most of the time, there’s a cafe there as well, or you can hang with the kids in the empty grandstands and drink cheap beer and have a fag, maybe something a bit harder

if there’s no one playing sports on the infield you can do a couple of cheeky laps, they’re not really bothered though

just FYI Roubaix is a real shithole and best not stopped in

Thanks JoB – your reply pretty much summed up what i’d managed to deduce from a bit of Google research.
Don’t worry, we won’t be stopping in Roubaix – we’re riding from Bruges to Saint Quentin (175k) and thought Roubaix would be a good lunch stop.

It’s not far from the cycle networks, so not difficult to get to. You can just ride straight in if there’s nothing on. And it sits right next to the new indoor velodrome, so I’m guessing it doesn’t get a whole lot of use these days.

if you *had* to stop the Grand Place square would be nicest place to do it, the cafe at the velodrome is pretty basic from what i remember