February 04, 2019 (London, ON) – The Ed Veal Track 24hr Attack galvanized the cycling community and raised over $50,000 for the Forest City Velodrome (FCV) this past weekend Sunday as he completed a record 735.8km. Veal covered and amazing 5,249 laps in his 24 hours of riding as fans cheered him on and donations poured in.

The initial goal of $25,000 was surpassed only six hours into the Track 24hr Attack and the final amazing tally of $53,000+ included a huge $5,000 donation from National Cycling Centre Hamilton, $1,000 from Epic Tours Halton, $1,000 from Dam Cross and many more. As a previous member of the Men’s Canadian National Track Endurance team, and the current Canadian Hour Record holder for Men’s 40-44, Veal has also been a prominent figure in the local cycling community and loves giving back.

The FCV staff asked Veal to participate in the event after witnessing him ride 505km on Zwift to raise money for a child in need of glasses. Raising over $2,200, his ride was a part of his Great to Be Alive series, where he would hop on Zwift to ride as far as possible, covering 305 km, 405 km, and 505 km rides, simply to celebrate his health and youthful motivation.

Considering the project promoted the benefits of cycling while also saving a treasured facility, he was immediately on board with the FCV event. “A distance record is an awesome stunt or challenge to draw attention, but the real win is the donations. Raising money with your bike to fund the sport or any worthy cause is the real deal (if I may)… just because,” said Veal.

The FCV staff asked Veal to participate in the event after witnessing him ride 505km on Zwift to raise money for a child in need of glasses. Raising over $2,200, his ride was a part of his Great to Be Alive series, where he would hop on Zwift to ride as far as possible, covering 305 km, 405 km, and 505 km rides, simply to celebrate his health and youthful motivation.

About 35 riders and 12 kids joined Veal on the track to support his mammoth effort and raise funds as well including his son Evan. It was an emotional day for Veal who wants to use his bike as a tool to help others. On the eve of the ride, Veal sent out a post saying that “I wouldn’t be able to do this without all of you. Thank you for continuing to stand behind my crazy-ass ideas and attempts such as this. It will be your faces and voices that will be keeping me going as I near the most painful and mentally draining parts of this endeavor.”

As one of North America’s few indoor velodromes, the FCV was originally converted from an old hockey arena. The prominent community center is home to successful youth and elite development programs alike, and has produced world-class athletes to the likes of former teammate Derek Gee. The event came about due to deteriorating facility conditions, and the need for long overdue track upgrades.

At 138m, the Forest City Velodrome is also known as the world shortest indoor track. At 51-degrees in the corners and 17-degree in the straight, its extra steep walls and higher g-force made it extra challenging for Veal to endure during the event. Even still, he was able to average 30.65 km/h for the 700+ km that he rode on the day.

The FCV has decided to put some of the $50,000 in donations into all new heating and lighting infrastructure, as they will be replacing their very old boiler with a more modern radiant system, and switching all light bulbs to LED’s.

“We’re humbled and so grateful to Ed Veal and the community for their support including all our volunteers who made today possible and an incredible success. The future looks so much brighter ahead and we are very appreciative of everyone’s input,” said FCV President, Craig Saari.

Veal spoke openly about his gratitude to his supporters and for the opportunity to take on an event of this kind. “This is not just any wooden track. It’s a project of passion and continues to live on because of a stalwart crews, fabulous fans and events like this. The story is worth the ride and the people are worth meeting. You are part of this project as we journey together to save the Velodrome.”

For more information or to support the movement click here.