Junior track worlds team

Les Championnats du Monde Juniors sur piste ont constituté une autre occasion pour les adeptes du FORUM de The Canadian Cyclist de faire valoir leur opinions. Mais contrairement à ce qu'on lit trop souvent sur ce FORUM (ou l'échange d'insultes gratuites proférées sous le couvert de l'anonymat abonde), cette fois-ci plusieurs intervenants bien informés et bien articulés ont pris le temps d'exprimer des points de vue que nous avons jugés assez intéressants pour les regrouper dans cette page, afin de les rendre accessible au delà de la vie éphémère qu'ils connaissent sur le FORUM. Le premier message : Junior track worlds team August 22, 2003 at 14:09 Anybody else pissed off that CCA is paying good money to send a bunch of kids over to wherever to "compete" on the track and come in last in every race? Either spend the money and get the kids training and fast enough to compete at the level they are being supported to go and race at, or don't spend any money at all. Development Deshmelopment. Either spend all the time and money required to create success or none at all. You won't see established cycling countries (I.E. anywhere in Europe or the US) sending cyclists to competitions just because they have an allotment. The Junior track team is an embarrasment. A partially built and inherently useless construction project if you will. FYI: Keep in mind that this commentary/rant is in no way meant to reflect poorly on the talents of the riders in question. I'm sure that they are all fantastic cyclists in their own rights, and are maybe capable of one day competing at the highest level. But not yet. What I object to is the CCA spending Taxpaxer dollars on something that is essential an embarassment for the proud country of which I am a proud citizen. Cheers (and take your best shot!)

Costs
August 22, 2003 at 15:26
You may want to check your cost information. The track worlds were a self-funded event as per the notices in Canadian Cycling and Canadian Cyclist. The juniors who hit the qualifying times were given the opportunity to go to worlds, at their own expense with a very small amount of assistance from CCA. That includes travel and accommodation for the 1 week preparation camp in Bromont.

As for preparation, experience, skill, results, and so on, no one can argue with your interpretation of the facts. This was a last minute project (2 months notice), however the longer term intent appears to be to prepare for next year, and the year after that.

The times and results are not at the world level. Will the atheletes be embarrassed? Perhaps, but they may also now understand what it takes to reach the required level. The CCA could have started with local races (in the US). But, at least they have started with virtually no cost to the CCA.

Fact or Fiction ?
August 22, 2003 at 16:27

A friend advised me there was an article in Daily News about the World Junior Track. After reading it I ventured in to the Forums, only to see this series of comments. Despite my aversion to forums, I find myself compelled to clarify some points. The issues seem to be directed to the CCA, not the athletes themselves, so that is where my comments pertain to.

Quality of the team selected by the CCA - The juniors are not at the world level. Every one knew that going in. One positive has been the improvement in times from prior to the project announcement to the worlds.

Costs - For the 4 western athletes, airfare to Bromont $600 or more. For every one else, room and board in Bromont for 10 days $400. Passport and VISA $275. Airfare to Moscow $1,750 or more. Other expenses not covered by the CCA - hundreds dollars. The subsidy from the CCA covered the coach and fraction of the athletes expenses.

Selection - the process was in the open. Juniors who met the qualifying times by the end of July were invited to the nationals track camp. From there, the team selection was based on who had hit the times. During Nationals there were 2 or 3 others who met the times, but unfortunately it was too late.

Embarrassed? You will have to ask the athletes. More experienced? Yes. Proud to represent Canada at their parents or friends expense? Absolutely. Part of a private little club? Only if membership is based on an electronic timer.

In the end, you may be right about this being a rushed project with little hope for success. The success may show itself in other ways. Will our 2 RR juniors benefit from this for worlds in Hamilton? Will the 2 first year racers continue to improve through next year? Will this encourage others in to track? Time will tell. An optimist would say yes. A pessimist would blame the CCA before the results are known.

Developing track riders in Canada
August 22, 2003 at 18:39

At the moment, the Canadian track programs are in a pretty sad state. All of the elite riders at the senior level are at or near the end of their careers. And there are only a handfull of them. Obviously, from international results, one cannot be hopeful about an emerging "next generation"

Also, the new international calendar has track moved to the winter. Obviously, that doesn't help Canada any unless Canada has some indoor facilities to train and race in. Or funds to send Canadian track athletes abroad to train during the winter. Some funds may exist for this at the elite senior level, but likely none will be found for the younger juniors and espoirs. And with no good junior/espoir talent, there is unlikely to be sparse senior talent emerging; a nice viscious circle. Canada only has only one indoor track facility (in Burnaby, BC) with no full time national programs established there.

The CCA has some tough decisions ahead as 11 (or perhaps 9 with BMX medals) of the 17 Olympic cycling events are on the track, and CCA funding comes, in part, from performance at Olympic disciplines. I don't know how much of the CCA budget is allocated to track, but on a Olympic Medal basis, it should be at least 50%. If it is 50%, the international results are disgraceful, and sport canada may hold the CCA accountable at the next round of funding. For the moment, the awesome success of Roland and co. in the mountains may keep sport canada happy, but not sure if relying only on mountain bike is a good long term strategy.

So the track options for the CCA seem pretty clear. They are something like:
1) come up with $10,000,000 to build a first class 250m indoor track in the Toronto area and establish a national training centre there
2) take advantage of the existing Burnaby facility and establish a national training centre there.
3) drop track altogether from national team programs; don't spend another nickel on it and spend it all on off-road and road. any expectations of international success is hopeless against countries where training is possible year around (often with need of indoor facilities), or is in the southern hemisphere.

If you think the sport of track is worth saving in Canada it would appear the choices are between "one in hand" and "two in the bush". With the fiscal constraints of govt's these days, the bush is not very friendly. Burnaby will also soon have an Olympic long-track speed skating rink a couple of miles from the velodrome, perhaps a real lure to the likes of Clara Hughes!

It will be interesting to see what the CCA decides!

From someone who's weathered the storm
August 23, 2003 at 1:12 by Nick Corcoran

Before I begin some of you may know I made a small blip on the radar screen two years ago when I was lucky enough to make it to junior worlds. We didn't do great and were definitely burnt out for a couple weeks after we got back but we did walk away with valuable experience and the pride of wearing the maple leaf on our shoulders. So knowing how good an experience this was for me I'm very happy for the riders being able to go to Moscow.

With that said I'm torn over what to say. Two years ago we had stiffer time standards and ultimately the CCA decided because one of us had made it in the sprint events the two of us who were slightly behind to send a team. But now the CCA has lowered the time standards to the point where they know we will get even more shelled... then to make it worse they made them compete only a week after nationals. Its a recipe that although I know the riders are doing their best still won't equate to high placings. And your absolutely right its pathetic that they had to pay $2,000 out of their own pocket whether partially CCA/club funded or parent funded to do it when the CCA in the end is the one that looks good. However, for the oppurtunity to represent Canada after meeting the time standards its something they did earn and a lot of people would be willing to pay for.

I think we have to realize that the good thing out of all this is at least the CCA is recognizing junior riders as the future, even if they aren't clever enough to realize half our hopes at the Olympics do come from the track and hence more funding needs to go to it. And if anyone will notice the average times over the past couple years *are* getting faster. So the cycling centers established a few years ago are beginning to pay off.

Now the CCA has to realize a few things:
1) if nationals is going to be the race that determines eligibility for development projects it has to be at a time in the year so if we do send people to junior worlds there is time to peak again. Unfortunately we don't have enough riders for a junior championship like some countries do so junior worlds has to be a determining the date for track nationals.
2) give the riders the chance to ride for Canada outside of junior worlds in places where they can succeed. Last year there was a US/Canada junior track meet in Texas.
3) create two tiers of time standards. One for national team development oppurtunities to race smaller races which will give them experience. Then another tougher one to make it to junior worlds. This will allow people the honour and pride of riding for Canada while sheltering them from the storm until they are ready. Its one thing to not do as well because you choke and another to not do well because the CCA time standards are too low. Of course with this if one rider is ready to go and two are close then there should be some give like their was two years ago for me.
4) we need an indoor track. Spending the money to figure out a plan of how to get one through corporate/government funding is something we need to look at or develop a center in Burnaby.

Thats my 2 cents.

-Nick

Nick's comments
August 23, 2003 at 13:45

Your comments about timing and peaking were bang on.

Five of the juniors went to road nationals. All six attended le tour de l'Abitibi, the toughest junior stage race in North America. Then three went to the national road camp and 3 went to western Canada Games. All 6 then went to a week long track camp before competing in nationals. Then on to the plane to travel for 2 days through 10 time zones. These juniors were all peaking for road nationals and Abitibi, not for the later races. But they all had to keep going without a break and a difficult travel schedule.

All that aside, they will be stronger for it, even though they may have a set back for the next few weeks. The times these 6 were achieving in June compared to late July improved. Not to mention 3 or 4 others who peaked for nationals and posted excellent times. Good signs for future years.

Junior track worlds team
August 23, 2003 at 14:28

It made sense to send them. They funded themselves, so not too much CCA money went into the trip. They are the top here in Canada. If they just keep competing here their heads will swell and they will not think they have to push themselves harder. Send them out into the big sea and they will learn how much harder they will have to work to get to the WORLD level. In Canada they are just tadpoles in a lake. Get them ready now so they know what to expect if they want a future in this sport. Canada's problem has always been " not developing their athletes."

Give these kids some credit, they have worked hard and have a lot more work to do over the next few weeks. They think they are fast and now they have just learned that they are going to have to go faste r!!!

Incentive
August 25, 2003 at 17:37

If you don't give kids the opprotunity to go to worlds, there's no reason for them to dedicate time and effort to focus on track.

Also some of the results arn't as bad as you'd think, several have finishes on the same lap (more than many contestants) and while the pursuit squad got slain, they were 8 seconds behind Italy. Kinda remarkable when you consider what probably went into the Italian team preperation.

The track project was able to draw on some of Canada's best cycling talent, riders asuch as Cooper, Lacombe and Lemieux have already proven themselves to be solid international junior riders (Abitibi, 6th at worlds). With time they will doubtless be able to adapt to being international level track riders.

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