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CyclingIt may be relatively difficult to believe but cycling in Barbados goes as far back as the 1940s. The first cycling track was actually the grass tracks at the historic Kensington Oval, located in Fontabelle, just outside Barbados' capital city Bridgetown. This track was only available on the very day of the competition. Interestingly enough, Barbados was represented by a cyclist at the Olympic Games in 1952. However, based on the fact that Barbados had no Olympic Committee in place, Ken Farnum, who was the representative at the time, took an available place in Jamaica's Olympic Team to compete at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. The Barbados Cycling Union was formed in 1962, as a result of there being conflict between the cycling and track and field bodies of that time. As track and field was quite favoured back in the day, cyclists felt somewhat threatened by the thought of regression should they be both governed by the same body. Great relief came in 1970 when the Barbados National Stadium was completed. This completion saw the incorporation of a velodrome. This opened the doors to the cycling fraternity as The Barbados National Stadium became the venue for cycling competitions which drew large crowds. Back then as is the case today, cycling in Barbados is still a very popular sport. Whether professionally or leisurely, cycling continues to appeal to sports enthusiasts.
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