GB Team Launch Women's Under-23 Academy

 

News posted 7 September 2006

 

Link - more on the application process, plus application form >>>>

 

Are you a talented and committed under 23 female endurance rider who wants to be part of the Great Britain Cycling team? If so, the GB team is looking for applicants who feel they have genuine Olympic medal potential in track, road or mountain biking racing to become part of their new Women's Endurance Academy.

In 2006, the Great Britain Cycling team has enjoyed success not only at senior level, but also in the Under-23 and Junior ranks. The team is now looking to add an additional Academy (i.e. Under-23) programme aimed at women endurance athletes, which will ensure that the team becomes even stronger as we head towards the Beijing and London Olympic Games.

The Under 23 Women's Endurance Academy, will be up and running by the end of this season. The person in charge of it is Dan Hunt, the National Women's Coach for the GB Cycling Team and British Cycling spoke to Dan about the forthcoming programme to learn more about it.

 

Nicole Cooke - a role model with bags of talent and commitment

Looking to 2012

The Under 23 Women's Endurance Academy will primarily be looking to develop riders who can represent the country at the London 2012 Olympics but Dan is quick to point out that should riders on the Academy Programme show the potential to medal in 2008, then they will also be eligible for selection for that Olympics.

The overriding feeling you get talking to Dan is that riders who want to be considered for the Women's Academy will already need to be very good athletes that the team feel will be worth investing time and money into.

"The question we will be asking ourselves is 'can this person win a medal in an Olympic discipline?'" Dan explained.

The Women's Academy is aimed at Under 23 Female Endurance riders who may well be looking to represent their country in various disciplines such as Track, Road, and Mountain Biking. "Think of it like a University programme where there will be core modules that a rider has to do" Dan told us. "Track will be one of them, even for riders who are targeting the Road or Mountain Biking. I firmly believe that skills and drills from the track cross over to any cycling discipline and then from there, they can choose the pathway to their specific competition."

"The way the Academy is going to run is that it will have a Winter World Track Cup focus followed by a break. The next major Track focus will be the Europeans but to prepare, the riders will be required to race a lot of Road events in Europe. Events like stage races, big one day events, Belgium Kermesses, wherever we can get the racing basically".

 

Gunn-Rita Dahle - Norwegian pace setter off-road and on!

Asked if a rider showed they had the ability to do well in time trials, would they get the opportunity to prepare for that event at European or World Level, Dan replied "there will be racing opportunities given to that rider like the Under 23 Europeans as well other International Time Trial events."

Riders will be assessed and their main event - where their performance goals will lie - will be identified. However, they will still be required to ride other events such as track bunch races, road time trials and road races.

We asked Dan if a rider wants only to ride the road, will they have that option? "Riding the track is a good part of a rider's preparation for their event even if their priority event is the road so no, they would be required to ride the track as well. It provides them with leg-speed and skills and the drills performed are also useful in certain training phases."

Home or in Residence

 

Some riders will live full time in the Academy residence at Manchester, but there will also be others with commitments - usually education - which prevent that. They are still encouraged to apply to be part of the Academy. Once they have finished their schooling, they can then make the move to be residentially based in Manchester. It's an example of how the team are not putting training above schooling.

Riders will also be eligible for grants, the size of which will depend on where they live - at home or in Manchester. All the riders will also be supplied bikes and kit.

Performance Goals for Academy Riders

 

One of the biggest recent changes to the GB Women's squad is that all riders in a Funded Programme have to have medal potential in a specific event. No funding is provided for a 'support' riders (domestiques etc). This is one of the reasons why several well-known road riders were not retained on the squad in 2006.

Dan says "That isn't to say these type of riders cannot be a professionals because as some have proved, they can make a living successfully in Europe or America. And it's not because we don't think they are good athletes. But we are funded to win Olympic medals and each rider on our programme has to show they can do that in a specific discipline. We don't have the funding any more to pay for support riders which is a shame for our sport but is a funding issue dictated by UK Sport and not the GB Team."

"Each rider who is to be funded, has to show they have a specific Olympic event where they are medal potential. Once that box is ticked, we aim to develop them to such a level where they can also cross over into other events. A Track Pursuiter for example could do the Road Time Trial and/or play a support role in the Road Race. So a funded athlete will be required to show they can be successful in their own event as well as cross over and excel in another event or provide a genuine support role".

 

Victoria Pendleton - top sprinter. Do you have the talent to become as successful in endurance events?

Training

 

Of course, riders who make the Academy will be given a wonderful opportunity to make the most of their talent and achieve their sporting goals. But it will require a lot of hard work in return.

The work load for Academy riders will vary depending on whether they are in residence or still at school. A rider in residence may well be training upwards of 25 hours a week during some parts of the year, while others at school may have a different type of training programme altogether, depending on what they as a rider need to move forward.

For those still at school, training will comprise of individual programmes which they will work at whilst living at home and which will be supplemented by training camps at Manchester or Newport, where the focus will be on conditioning drills on the track as well as skills work.

Do you have what it takes?

 

Asked what he's looking for in riders who are thinking of applying, Dan replied "I'd expect them to be fast, skilful and a 'bike racer', especially those looking at being bunch race riders, who would need to show they can understand the ins and outs of a bunch race and be able to read a race and apply that to a race strategy."

"In terms of their mental attributes, I'm also looking for tenacious, gritty riders who don't give up and are willing to turn them selves inside out to succeed; riders who consider hard work as part of being a professional bike rider. As for the lifestyle aspect, this academy is not about sitting around having your legs rubbed or sitting on the bonnet of a car drinking coffee and looking the part. It will be about working hard, racing hard and achieving tough performance goals".

There is no doubt that being a full time athlete brings with it special rewards. There's little that can beat the buzz of competing at Olympic Games or at World or European Championships. But it takes a special talent and incredible commitment to reach the standard required at these events. With it's new Women's Endurance Academy, the GB Team plans to provide the support and expert input that these special athletes require. Are you one of them? If so, GB would like to hear from you!

 

Link - more on the application process, plus application form >>>>