The Tour de France may be the king of biking events, but do they serve organic food there?
Here in Pennsylvania, we are blessed to have a velodrome nearby. Not just any velodrome, but one of the best in the country. Most people have never heard of one, or ever seen one, but a velodrome is a sight worth seeing. The Lehigh Valley's--officially known as the Valley Preferred Cycling Center--is basically an oval track with steeply banked sides, where cyclists race around and around in various kinds of races.
My father got our velodrome built. He was competing in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City for skeet shooting (he came in 16th) when he saw one for the first time, and got hooked. Velodrome racing is a huge sport in Europe--and actually, it used to be huge in the States, too, at the turn of the last century. The original Madison Square Garden was a velodrome!
The first velodrome I ever saw was in Vienna. It was an indoor wooden track and was the site of the Junior World Championships. This track was also known for its "six-day" races, where teams of riders would race continuously for six days! But here's what I remember most: the sandwiches. There was a truck outside the track that sold little white Viennese rolls stuffed with a few slices of hard salami. I think my little brother and I must have eaten about 20 of them while we were there.
This year, for the first time ever, there is amazing ORGANIC food at the Lehigh Valley's velodrome in Trexlertown. It's crazy-popular, and tastes really good. You can get organic cheeseburgers, organic hot dogs, organic hot pretzels, organic popcorn--even organic snow cones!--and other good, yummy stuff. For less than the cost of a mystery-meat hot dog at a major urban sports stadium, you can get an organic version that tastes better, and eat it outdoors to the beautiful whirr of bicycle tires flying around the track.
The races (and the great organic food) continue throughout the summer--usually on Tuesday and Friday nights. Check out www.thevelodrome.com for the details. Come on out and try the amazing food!
Related Links:
Growing Evidence that Chemical Agriculture is Killing Us - Maria's Farm Country Kitchen
You Can Do It: The No Excuse Guide to Biking To Work - Rodale.com
Bicycling Magazine
For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.