SINCE suffering a severe brain injury in March 2006, Kidlington man Simon Head has been battling to get back on his bike.

Now he is fighting a new battle to have a velodrome built in Oxford to train the next generation of Olympic champions.

The 42-year-old former McLaren F1 design engineer lobbied his MP, Nicola Blackwood, last year seeking support for the proposal and now he wants to generate momentum for his campaign.

He said: “Before my accident I used to race bicycles.

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“I also used to race in various velodromes including Southampton, Portsmouth, Calshot and Saffron Lane in Leicester.

“I am frankly dismayed that Oxford, a central point in the country that has lots of people cycling around it, doesn’t have a velodrome.

“The nearest one is 47 miles away in Reading, way too far away.”

Mr Head said his disability meant it was too dangerous for him to cycle on roads and he believed more disabled people would benefit if the velodrome was built.

He added: “It would regularly be used by a track cycling league, schoolchildren in games lessons and disabled people like myself as the roads are too dangerous.

“If the next Olympic velodrome cycling champion was from Oxford that would be fantastic.”

Mr Head was injured when he fell off his motorbike while attempting a jump during the Tuareg Rallye in North Africa.

The injuries to his brain mean he has poor balance and the muscles on the right side of his body have been reduced in size and strength and are more difficult for him to control. He is unable to drive but has been able to cycle again with the help of stabilisers.

Last year he wrote to Oxford West and Abingdon MP Ms Blackwood asking her to help him with his dream of building a velodrome in Oxford.

He said: “She seemed very optimistic and said the whole of Oxford could benefit.

“Since then I have been writing lots of letters to others but I do not seem to be getting anywhere. I think Nicola is on our side but I am still trying to persuade her. We need to see action now.

“I would like it if we got more people like Nicola behind it.”

Cyclox member Graham Smith said a velodrome could bring real benefits to Oxford.

He said: “People go to Reading and Southampton so I could imagine it could have some use and might also draw in people from other areas.

“I would love to take my grandchildren there; I think it would be great. It would be used by schools as well.

“I am all for that sort of stuff. If it was Germany or France it would be happening already.”

Ms Blackwood was unavailable for comment last night.


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