Ireland's top juniors will be coached directly by Cycling Ireland staff, rather than having their own personal coaches, under new plans set out by the national governing body.
The plan is aimed at moving the top juniors forward as a group in a manner that ensures they peak for key events at the right time, which can all be coordinated directly by Cycling Ireland staff.
The national governing body believes the move to centralise coaching will achieve greater alignment for juniors across their racing and training plans and events in their life away from the bike, including their schooling.
The move is being introduced as part of the 'Performance Pathway Programme', which any junior rider can now apply for whether they ride road, track or off-road, or a mix of the three. But be aware…. This Sunday, November 2nd, is the closing date for expressions of interest from young riders.
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The programme is now entering its seventh year and is open to those born in 2008 or 2009, meaning those who will be first or second year juniors next season. Thirteen riders were named for the PPP this time last year and they did exceptionally well as a group - see that full list here.
"The PPP plays a central role in delivering Cycling Ireland’s high performance pathway strategy by focusing on athlete-centred development," Cycling Ireland said as part of the expression of interest process opening.
"It provides the coaching, education, and experiences needed to build a system that supports riders in their long-term progression toward elite-level sport."
It confirmed for those riders who secure places in the PPP next year, it will for the first time involve "a fully in-house coaching model, with all riders coached directly" by Cycling Ireland staff.
"By centralising coaching, the programme can better coordinate athlete preparation, ensuring riders arrive at key events in peak condition and with the support of a unified coaching team," Cycling Ireland explained of the move.
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In-house coaching is a model used by many pro teams and also some other national governing bodies for riders on their junior and U23 development programmes.
Cycling Ireland works closely with the Sport Ireland Institute to deliver the PPP, which involves expert-led education in areas like physiology, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and psychology.
While the PPP is designed to improve performance, it is also intended as an educational process which should better place young riders to understand the sport, their bodies and how to prepare physically and mentally for competition.
There is also an emphasis on "independence, discipline, communication, and personal responsibility". It is all intended to wrap up the young riders in a supportive environment – based on expert knowledge - where they could go on to be junior, U23 and even senior internationals.
"The Performance Pathway Programme is open to riders born in 2008–2009, across all cycling disciplines, including road, track, mountain bike, and BMX," Cycling Ireland said.
"Selection is based on a holistic review of each rider’s development, performance, and potential. This includes consideration of physiological data, race results, training history, and alignment with the long-term demands of high-performance cycling."
The application process is closing this Sunday - yes, two days time - November 2nd (yes, we at stickybottle are a bit late covering this, apologies).
To apply, riders must complete the 'Expression of Interest Form' and ensure they have read the following documents, which you can click on below:
These documents outline the expectations, responsibilities, and standards required throughout the programme.
For any queries regarding the programme, please contact: Stuart Balfour (High Performance Pathway Lead) – [email protected] or Martyn Irvine (High Performance Coach), [email protected]
