After an exciting assessment camp showcasing some outstanding BC cyclists, the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific has now confirmed the seven athletes who will take part in the Cycling Talent Development Program (Cycling TDP) for the initial trial period. The final team of athletes will be named in January.
Below is the athlete list confirmed for the September 15 – December 22 trial period:
Cordell Dickie (16, Kelowna)
Gillian Ellsay (16, Courtenay)
Allie Guenther (25, Victoria)
Clara Mackenzie (17, Victoria)
Brenna Pauly (18, Victoria)
Trevor Stothard (17, Victoria)
Zac de Vries (19, Victoria)
Selection for the 2013/14 Cycling TDP is based on a three step process. The initial selection was founded on relevant competition results in track, mountain biking or road cycling along with a recommendation from a coach. Following this, athletes were invited to a three-day assessment camp, which included cycling-specific fitness testing, skill testing and an interview with the TDP Coach. Now that the athletes have been selected, they are undergoing a three month trial period. The full time Cycling TDP begins January 6, 2014.
“This is a very strong group of athletes to start the second phase of the Talent Development Program,” commented Jeff Ain, the Cycling TDP Coach. “The initial assessment camp showed a very high level of raw talent, and I am excited to work with this group for the trial period. We will focus on delivering a world class daily training environment over the next ten weeks to maximize the potential of each athlete. It is a real privilege to have full access to support services from the Canadian Sport Institute in Victoria, which is based at the Pacific Institute of Sport Excellence.”
The Cycling TDP is a new partnership between Cycling Canada, Cycling BC and the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. By developing this program directly in line with Cycling Canada’s High Performance Athlete Development Pathway, cyclists are given the guidance, coaching and sport science support required to advance their athletic careers. The Cycling TDP is committed to supporting the identification and development of Canadian athletes who have the qualities required to be Olympic/Paralympic champions.