Laoshan Velodrome unoffically opens

(BEIJING, August 1) -- The mountain bike course in Beijing's Laoshan complex unofficially opened for athletes on August 1. Women from the Cuban Cycling team were its first visitors.

Coach Leonel Alvarez said that this was the team's first practice since arriving in Beijing. Cuban star cyclist and former world champion Yoanka Gonzalez Perez will participate in the Women's Points Race. She has already competed in the past two Olympics, and was 9th in the Points event in Athens. In this year's Manchester World Cup, she was 5th in that same event.

Alvarez reveals, "Cuba has two participants in Women's Track Cycling events and one participant in the Individual Women's Road Cycling event. As of now, all athletes are healthy and have not experienced any injuries."

The 59-year-old coach commented that the competition that his team is up against is great, but "we will try our hardest to win a medal." When asked about Chinese athlete Li Yan, who is also competing in the Women's Points Race, Alvarez said, "China's Track Cycling has come a long way in the past few years. Li Yan is a very good cyclist." When asked who had greater skill between Gonzalez and Yan, Alvarez admitted, "Li Yan."

The Cuban cycling team arrived in Beijing on July 27. Since the opening of the Laoshan cycling facility, Alvarez has showed up almost every day with his team for training and practice.