New England Velodrome’s Weblog

Tony Eberhardt

Tony is the founder of the New England Velodrome and Cycling Park™(NEV&CP). His passion for bicycle racing began in 1981 as a junior racer with Team Hill based in Philadelphia, PA. In 1983, he placed 1st in the Air Products Development Cycling Program at the Leigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, PA. On the track he was coached by sprinters Gibby Hatton and Art McHugh. He was also an accomplished criterium racer who quickly became known for his sprinting capabilities. He upgraded to Cat. 2 before moving to New England in 1986 to complete his education as a physical therapist.

For over 20 years, Tony has maintained his involvement in cycling by working for the Pro Cycling Tour, on such events as the US PRO Championships in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Invitational. Tony is a certified USAC cycling coach and owner of New Boston Physical Therapy, LLC in New Boston, NH. His ultimate dream is to create a multi-discipline cycling center in New England which will include an indoor velodrome.

Phil Kenealy

Phil joined the NEV&CP team in 2005 as part of our youth development coaching staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our programs. He is a certified USAC cycling coach and the coaching coordinator for the NEV&CP.

Phil began bicycle racing in 1980 as a member of Joe Avalos’s Coconut Grove Bicycle Racing Club in Miami, Florida, racing with the likes of Dave Ware and Chris Carmichael. He was a criterium specialist who quickly upgraded to Cat. 1 within two seasons. Moving to California in 1985, Phil raced for the Huntington Cycle Club (track) Alto Velo and Team Avocet. Based at the Olympic Velodrome in Los Angeles, Phil’s specialty was the individual and team pursuit. He found his track experience invaluable for improving his finishing speed on the road. His international experience includes racing in Italy, Germany, and Hungary as a USA cycling team member. Phil picked up cycling once again after moving to New England in 2000 as a way of maintaining fitness while having fun. He is looking forward to sharing his expertise with our riders.

Dick Ring

Mr. Ring joined the NEV&CP staff in the summer of 2005, after hearing of the efforts to bring track racing back to New England. He has generously offered not only his legendary racing commentary but also his expertise by helping to coach in the Youth Development Program. A champion speed skater and racing cyclist, Mr. Ring placed fifth in the 1956 U.S. Olympic cycling trials. In the 1978 he founded the New England Cycling Academy to help aspiring bicycle racers get the knowledge and technical skills necessary to develop into safe, competitive cyclists.

Mr. Ring’s years of racing, coaching and announcing are unmatched. His goal is to convey “appreciation for the effort that is being put into the show” by teaching spectators about the sport of track racing. When he’s not describing the action, he’ll expound on bike racing equipment, training, tactics and history, and he’ll graciously plug the sponsors, the concessions and the local folks for accommodating the race.

Brooke O’Connor

Brooke O’Connor is a seasoned cycling veteran who joins the New England Velodrome (NEV) staff for the 2007 season. he began road racing in 1991 and has been a member of such teams as the Tokeneke Road Club, Northeast Bicycle Club (NEBC), Colavita-Bolla and most recently Hub Racing. Presently a Category 1 racer who specializes in criteriums, Brooke has spent the past 5 years racing the USCF national calendar races (NRC). In 2001 she started track racing at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, PA. She quickly upgraded to a Cat 2 in her first season racing against international fields. She prefers the mass start races due to their similarity to criterium races.

Over the years, she has regularly assisted with various introductory racing and skills clinics. She is currently a software administrator and design engineer at a semi-conductor company and the Team Director of the NEBC Elite Women’s Team. She took the 2007 season off from racing to have her first child. She joined the NEV&CP staff to assist in teaching the women’s beginner classes and the Youth Development Program.

Tracey Kenealy

Tracey joins the NEV team as Director of Public Relations. She is a cycling enthusiast and has a college sports background in hockey and netball in Liverpool, England. She is involved in coaching volleyball for the International Olympic Committee and coaches soccer in her hometown of Bedford, NH. Tracey comes to NEV with an extensive knowledge of public relations from her career in the airline industry. She brings with her an amazing amount of energy and passion for our project and we are excited to have her on board.

Tracey will be responsible for getting the word out about all of our programs, news, events, etc and promoting “Cycling for All!”