Charlotte Cole-Hossain and Freddie Wright were barely old enough for secondary school when they stood up in London’s City Hall one day in 2010 and delivered a speech about the importance of saving Herne Hill, the velodrome that had provided the venue for the opening event of the 1948 Olympics. This week, on a beautiful spring day, they did it again, repeating the same words to celebrate the opening of the shining new pavilion which represents the final touch in the rescue of a historic sporting amenity.
Now 18, Charlotte won the national junior points race title last year. Fred is 17, and a regular competitor in international junior events: Ghent-Wevelgem last weekend, Paris-Roubaix next week. Having started out at Herne Hill, now they are old enough to watch new generations following in their wheeltracks and engaging with a sport and a pastime that has risen to unprecedented heights of prominence in recent years.
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