British Cycling has revealed that work has now commenced on the repair of the dilapidated track at Herne Hill Velodrome, South London - the last remaining 1948 Olympic venue.

The project - due to take six weeks to complete - is the first work to be carried out after a 15-year lease was signed between owner The Dulwich Estate and British Cycling. Funding for the scheme has been provided through the national governing body's Whole Sport Plan and a financial bequest from local resident Leonard Lyes, who died in 2009.

British Cycling facilities officer Patrick Flanagan said: "The track will then be re-surfaced with a special velodrome-specific covering called 'MasterTrack', a product we developed in conjunction with Tarmac. "MasterTrack contains very fine granite stones and is exceptionally smooth, hard and dense, making it ideal for track racing. It is also impervious to water, so damage from the elements will be eliminated."