{"id":192351,"date":"2023-03-22T14:41:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T14:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=192351"},"modified":"2023-03-22T14:43:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T14:43:11","slug":"the-uci-is-supporting-young-riders-from-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2023\/03\/22\/the-uci-is-supporting-young-riders-from-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"The UCI Is Supporting Young Riders From Around the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Biniam Girmay won last year\u2019s one-day Gent\u2013Wevelgem, becoming the first African to win a major UCI WorldTour race, it provoked celebrations not only in his home country of Eritrea, but also in the Swiss town of Aigle, home of the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC). It focused attention on the Centre\u2019s development program, which seeks out young cyclists of potential in countries without the means to provide them with optimal training opportunities and offers them the ideal conditions to realize their potential, in Aigle or at the UCI WCC African satellite in Paarl, South Africa.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Another \u2018graduate\u2019 of the program,\u00a0Negasi Haylu Abreha (Team Q36.5) of Ethiopia, was prominent recently when he was part of a long breakaway in Saturday\u2019s Milan-San Remo,\u00a0won in spectacular fashion<\/a>\u00a0by Alpecin-Deceuninck\u2019s Mathieu van der Poel.<\/p>\n

UCI World Cycling Centre Performance Manager Liam Phillips said, via email, that since its inception in 2002 the Centre had supported 2,156 athletes, and this year was training athletes from Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Thailand, Ethiopia, South Africa, Colombia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe athletes will stay at the UCI WCC in Aigle for about 12 weeks, with some staying longer depending on discipline and individual plan,\u201d he explained. \u201cAll Olympic \u2013 and soon to be Paralympic \u2013 cycling disciplines are supported at the UCI WCC, from traditional disciplines, such as Road and Track, to the newer Olympic disciplines, like BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the funding for the training is provided by the UCI WCC, Phillips said.\u00a0 And, depending on the athlete, the cyclist\u2019s national federation also contributes, as does the International Olympic Committee\u2019s Olympic Solidarity Scholarship, a fund that offers financial support to facilitate training and athletic development.<\/p>\n

It is obviously vital for the development program to be able to identify cyclists with potential and training needs, and Phillips said the UCI\u2019s ability to spot talent has evolved since its beginning. \u201cWe continue to rely heavily on a global network of coaches who provide feedback to the UCI WCC regarding athletes with potential,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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The \u201cField of Dreams\u201d center, built by @IsraelPremTech<\/a> was inaugurated in Rwanda with the presence of UCI WCC Director, @JacquesLandry2 <\/p>\n

A project that will fuel the development of cycling across the region ahead of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda! \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/tUJbejy35l<\/a><\/p>\n

— World Cycling Centre (@WCC_cycling) February 20, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n