Tour De France riders

[Ludwig]

I would agree that a club is the best route and there will be experience riders, coaches etc. It is like in athletics where you enter the various championships and events and if you are good enough and put in good times you will soon attract the attention of professional teams and national coaches etc.

 

[monnet]

Join a club. Race. Be dedicated. The club will help you. If you're good enough you'll be noticed. Again, if you're good enough, by the time you're 18 you should expect to be living in Belgium, France or Italy (hopefully subsidised by the BCF, the Dave Raynor Fund or youth team set up).

I've said (and so has everyone else here) before, you have to be prepared to give everything to cycling. I recall reading Robert Millar used to get into trouble as a trainee electrician because he spent most of his time asleep in the toilets in order to rest his legs for training and racing. I'vealready listed Sean Kelly's habits elsewhere.

 

[Will1985]

Nonsense.

Why not? I know several riders who used to be in the talent/development squads who were dropped when they decided to cut back on their track riding in favour of being out on the road.

I can't think of many high profile young British riders who haven't gone through the track system. I remember this was discussed back in the days of C+

 

[Dave5N]

Take up track riding - the shortsightedness of BC means that this is the most common way to get noticed and go places.

Why not? I know several riders who used to be in the talent/development squads who were dropped when they decided to cut back on their track riding in favour of being out on the road.

I can't think of many high profile young British riders who haven't gone through the track system. I remember this was discussed back in the days of C+

My point is that the system BC set up to improve things wasn't short-sighted. Far from it. It was very far-sighted indeed. They used the (relative) ease of programming and sheer number of medals available on the track to establish a programme that both developed the infrastructure - particularly the coaching side - and secured the resources for GB to be a World Power. This is now being rolled out.

(Remember, lottery funding is directly linked to international medal success.)

BC were right to develop the track programme first. Everything else has followed from that. Probably a record 9 British riders in the Giro this year and several others good enough. Multiple TdF stage wins last year. Wins and high placings in major races across the field. So Road racing has certainly started to come through. MTB racing will follow, and even lower profile disciplines such as BMX and Cyclocross will get the benefit.

Do you honestly think SKY would have chipped in a cool £18 million plus all sorts of other support for what is even now a very minority sport ten years ago? Some of that money will enable a serious, British Protour team to be launched.

BC were right to develop the track programme first. Everything else has followed from that. Probably a record 9 British riders in the Giro this year and several others good enough. Multiple TdF stage wins last year. Wins in Major races across the field. So Road racing has certainly started to come through. MTB racing will follow, and even lower profile disciplines such as BMX and Cyclocross will get the benefit.

Fro time to time I meet a few old farts who I am sure hanker after the days when all there was was secret testing in black jerseys at 6am. You're much smarter than that, Will, but don't for a moment fall into the trap of believing the naysayers who tell us BC haven't a plan to develop Britain as a top cycling nation, both at the highest competitive level in all disciplines and also as a recreational sport and also as a leisure activity - last week they started rolling out Ride Leader courses to encourage more people, everyday people, not athletes and the usual club weekend warriors, to ride bikes.

Paid for, you guessed it, by SKY.