Melbourne Arena - Velodrome

Now known as John Cain Arena, Melbourne Arena contains a world-class indoor velodrome within the Melbourne Park sporting precinct. The multi-purpose arena opened in 2000 and features a 250-metre timber cycling track cleverly concealed beneath retractable seating when the venue is configured for tennis, basketball, netball or entertainment events. When transformed into cycling mode, the seating banks are raised to reveal the track, creating a dedicated indoor track-cycling venue with seating for around 4,500 spectators. This unique design allows one of Melbourne's major sporting arenas to convert into a full international-standard velodrome. The track has an impressive competition history. It hosted the 2004 and 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, as well as track cycling during the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The 2012 World Championships alone attracted riders from 41 countries and more than 28,000 spectators across five days. The arena has changed names several times throughout its history, having previously been known as Vodafone Arena, Hisense Arena and Melbourne Arena before being renamed John Cain Arena in 2020. RTS Tip: This isn't a velodrome you can simply turn up and ride. The 250m timber track spends much of its life hidden beneath the arena's seating and event configuration, only being revealed when required for cycling. It’s still an important one for the RTS collection, however, thanks to its place in Australian track-cycling history and its ability to transform from a major entertainment arena into a world-class velodrome.