British Cycling announces major changes to academy structure

British Cycling has announced major changes to its performance pathway structure which will align the focus of the academy squads with success in Tokyo 2020.

The rebranded ‘Rider Route’ will target the identification and development of young talented riders, with the ultimate aim to win medals at world championship and Olympic level in an increasingly competitive international environment.

Among the biggest of the changes is a plan to establish a European training base in Italy, which will be ready later this year and be accessible to the entire Great Britain cycling squad.

Brian Stephens, who coached the Australian U23 men’s road programme for almost two decades and played a significant role in developing many of Australia’s top riders, has joined the endurance academy coaching team and will work alongside Chris Newton and Keith Lambert.

The women’s academy endurance squad will move back to Manchester from their temporary base in Newport in September 2015.

The squad will race on the road in both national and international competition with the aim of developing a greater number of female road riders to underpin the Podium programme.

'Major changes'

For the ‘dirt’ programmes, the mountain bike academy squad will move out toward the Peak District to improve proximity to trails and residential opportunities will be provided to BMX riders at 17 years of age.

British Cycling's technical director Shane Sutton said: “We’re introducing some major changes to the academy and the rationale for that is simple – to ensure that we continue to develop riders that are capable of standing on world podiums and ensure any gaps we currently have in the programme are reduced in the build-up to Tokyo.

“The establishment of a European training base is a prospect that we are all extremely excited about. Not only will it create new training and racing opportunities across all the disciplines, it allows us to reinvent a model that led to one of Great Britain’s most successful periods in the sport.”

Performance pathway manager Ian Yates said: “There has been a perception in recent years that both the academy endurance squads were only focused on developing track riders. We’ve taken this feedback on board and the new structure will look to address that situation.

"The new set-up aims to develop those who want a purely road focused career as well as those whose interests lie in the track – the two groups will train and race together as we know that during this period of their development the two disciplines complement each other.