How does someone become a professional ie paid cyclist ?
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Salty seadog
Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Deliveroo? 
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Results at big races, 'guest' test rides on teams, discussions with team managers/DS's at races, progressing through teams - youth/junior/bigger junior/adult/onwards, etc. Some of the pro riders now have agents but that's at the top level.
If a rider does well at the major races then they get noticed; it's their palmares. It's also not just about being in the top few riders, but also about how they ride during the race.
Son no. 2's going through the stages at the moment with a view to a decision next year as to where next for 2022 and also 2023. He's only at a junior team level though.
If a rider does well at the major races then they get noticed; it's their palmares. It's also not just about being in the top few riders, but also about how they ride during the race.
Son no. 2's going through the stages at the moment with a view to a decision next year as to where next for 2022 and also 2023. He's only at a junior team level though.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Thats a broad question, seeing as there are so many disciplines and fields that involve riding bicycles for sponduliks. I got into it through work, but that was nothing to do with racing or competitive cycling.
What do you mean by "big races"?
Lets say Joe Blogs, aged 20ish rides with a local club.....how does he get noticed?
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
By winning a few of them?
I would imagine the sport is still quite small at grass roots level and people know people know people. If Joe Blogs is any good, he will get mentioned up the chain.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
I like the idea of Dave Brailsford following a bunch of riders on a club ride, on the off chance they are potential pros. But instead they just head off to the cafe.
Many pros come from MTB, cyclocross and Olympic track programmes.
Many pros come from MTB, cyclocross and Olympic track programmes.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
......pedal very fast?
vickster
Legendary Member
Surely he needs to actually ride in organised races not just do the Sunday club run?
I follow cycling Youtubers more for their rides and equipment but I was surprised how broad based competitive cycling is at grass roots level. It appears to be a full calendar week in week out except for the winter months.
But also noticed the top tend to come from those that are trained in the Olympics disciplines under National tutelage. I also noticed that those who have youth background in MTB and Cycle-cross and not straight road races seems to prevalent in pro cycling. Its the same with women especially in the continent. Marianne Voss and Mathieu Van Der Pol come to mind.
I think the reason for this is that the logistics around putting on an MTB or cyclo-cross race are a lot easier than a closed roads road race. Therefore there are more of them. Also both MTB and cyclo-cross are really challenging fitness wise, find a regular winner in either discipline and they'll do well on the roads with some training.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
You start with local/regional races and then national ones. If he's in a local club then it's the local/regional races. As they move up categories - 4th>3rd, 3rd>2nd, 2nd>1st, 1st>Elite then access to 'big races' starts to open up; i.e. access to E/1/2 races rather than 3/4 or 4th only. British Cycling's 'Event' list is a useful starting point, filtering by the rider category, although others such as TLi exist. Note that it's not just road/crit races, but cyclo-cross, track, grasstrack, MTB, cycle speedway, etc. And time trials through Cycling Time Trials.
So they start as a Cat 4 racer, get used to racing in the 4th's or 3/4 races and develop racing skills. That might get them noticed by a low-level team or they race under their club. Getting results gets them points - which allows a rider to move up a category. Once they're into 2/3/4 races then it's more likely that a rider is part of a team for Cat 2 riders and above, but not always. Some of the bigger events give priority to a team entry, with individual club/team riders getting the spare or reserve places.
So son no. 2's got 35 points as a British Cycling Cat 3 rider and needs 5 more to become Cat 2. To date this year I've got 15 points, which moved me from Cat 4 to Cat 3 once I'd got 12.
Keep going up the categories and bigger possibilities open up ...
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