British Cycling has today confirmed the riders who will train on the Great Britain Cycling Team Senior Academy Programme for the forthcoming season, which includes nine new riders across all the disciplines.
Performance Director Stephen Park said: “This is always an exciting time of year for the Great Britain Cycling Team, especially for the senior academy riders who have either graduated from junior academy or who are completely new to the programme as they are about to embark on their career as full-time athletes.
“I’m pleased to welcome Ryan Martin (BMX Supercross), Bob Donaldson, Oscar Nilson-Julien, Jack Rootkin-Gray and Oli Stockwell (Men’s Endurance), Eluned King, Sophie Lewis and Abi Smith (Women’s Endurance) and Emma Finucane (Women’s Sprint) onto the Senior Academy Programme.
“The Senior Academy riders can look forward to a period of induction starting next week, where, abiding by the Government’s COVID-19 rules, they will get to know their team mates and performance support staff, as well as learning about what support is available to them and what their responsibilities are as a member of the Great Britain Cycling Team. We then look forward to supporting their ambitions of Olympic success and ensuring they are ready for race day when that time comes.
“With a home Commonwealth Games happening in Birmingham in 2022, the first ever UCI Cycling World Championships for all disciplines taking place in 2023 and of course, the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, it’s a very exciting time for these riders and I can’t wait to see what the future bring for them as individuals and for us the Great Britain Cycling Team.
Selection for the Academy programmes took a different format this year, due to COVID-19 affecting the ability to judge riders off race results or training efforts.
Performance Pathway Manager Tom Stanton explains: “The aim of the Great Britain Cycling Team is to support riders who have the ambition and the potential to perform at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“At Senior and Junior Academy level, we want to ensure that we are supporting the best riders in the country and usually we are able to assess this throughout the course of the year through training and racing activity.
“This year, as the vast majority of GBCT training and racing activity has been cancelled, we want to provide extra opportunities for riders who we believe have potential but haven’t had the chance to demonstrate it yet. As such, as well as the riders we have been able to confirm, we have a number of riders ‘on trial’, and they will be given the opportunity to show their potential through invitational camps and assessments over the coming months.”
Great Britain Cycling Team Senior Academy Programme Riders for 2020/21 Season:
Men’s BMX Supercross
Ross Cullen
Ryan Martin
Men’s Cross-Country Mountain Bike
Charlie Aldridge
Harry Birchill
Sean Flynn
Cameron Orr
Men’s Track Endurance
Rhys Britton
Bob Donaldson
Alfie George
Oscar Nilsson-Julien
Jack Rootkin-Gray
Max Rushby
Oli Stockwell
Will Tidball
Sam Watson
Women’s Track Endurance
Meg Barker
Ella Barnwell
Jenny Holl
Eluned King
Sophie Lewis
Jess Roberts
Amelia Sharpe
Abi Smith
Men’s Track Sprint
James Bunting
Ali Fielding
Hamish Turnbull
Women’s Track Sprint
Lauren Bell
Emma Finucane
Lucy Grant
Blaine Ridge-Davis
Charlotte Robinson
Lusia Steele
Ellie Stone
Milly Tanner
The Great Britain Cycling Team riders across all the disciplines and programmes can be viewed here.
