The city of Lachute has opened its very first roller track (pumptrack) at Parc Bernard-Guay. The installation of this new sports equipment was made possible thanks to a financial contribution worth $50,000 from Club Richelieu Lachute.
The pumptrack is a closed bike course with a succession of bumps and banked turns. The basic idea is that you never cycle on this type of circuit.
Instead, riders ground movements to pump thanks to the action of the arms and legs, but also movements in the center of gravity linked to balance. The roller track allows people of all ages to practice a multitude of wheeled sports, including cycling, scootering, skateboarding and in-line skating, practicing their balance and enjoying a fast track composed of elevation changes. The tour is also inclusive, as it is suitable for all ages and levels of users, as well as being accessible to people with reduced mobility and those in wheelchairs.
Made up of two sections, the Bernard-Guay Park trail is 98 metres long.
“It is a source of pride for our Club Richelieu to participate in community initiatives, especially regarding our young people. We are happy to be able to be partners with the city in carrying out this project. The Richelieu Club is always there for young people,” said club member Pierre Chénier, who proposed the project.
“We are very happy to inaugurate the pump track today and to be able to offer the population additional quality sports infrastructure, especially to our teenagers who will be able to benefit from it now during this summer school vacation period. The Municipal Council promised it to you and you had been waiting for it for a long time; here it is finally officially open! I would like to thank the Richelieu Club for their valuable financial contribution to this project, without which, we would not have been able to carry it out,” Mayor Bernard Bigras-Denis said.
