British Cycling to re-establish Italian base as it chases Tokyo 2020 glory

British Cycling says it is to re-establish a base in Italy for young riders in Italy as part of an overhaul of its performance pathway structure, which has been renamed the ‘Rider Route’ and is aimed at identifying and developing future world champions and Olympic medallists, beginning with Tokyo 2020.

In setting up a base on the continent again, the national team’s technical director, Shane Sutton, says he wants to “reinvent” a concept that, through the former academy run by the governing body in Quarrata, Tuscany, helped produce riders such as Mark Cavendish, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas.

According to British Cycling, the men’s academy endurance squad will be based at the facility, due to open later this year, giving them better access to under-23 races abroad, while their female counterparts will move their base from Newport to Manchester with a women’s Great Britain Cycling Team set up to compete in races at home and internationally.

As part of the overhaul, which also sees the mountain bike academy set up a base in the Peak District, the Olympic Development Programme is renamed the Junior Academy, which British Cycling says will “indicate a clearer link with the Academy programme which in turn will become the Senior Academy.”

Meanwhile, Brian Stephens, who was coach of Australia’s under-23 men’s road programme, will join Chris Newton and Keith Lambert on the endurance academy coaching staff.

“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,” said Sutton.

“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.”

Ian Yates, British Cycling’s performance pathway manager, said part of the reason for the changes was to overturn the perception that both the men’s and women’s academy programmes were too focused on the track.

He said: “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.”

Programmes director Andy Harrison added: “The Great Britain Cycling Team has set the standard by which others are measured but the strategies that have sustained success over the last 10 years will not necessarily keep us winning over the next 10.

“These changes are part of wider look at what is needed to ensure the Great Britain Cycling Team continues to meet the standards expected of it.

“We have to respond to a number of challenges – not least among them is the need to ensure this country’s best riders have the best chance to realise their potential.

“But we must also look at delivering value for the investment we receive from UK Sport and our commercial partners as well as continuing to win in an increasingly competitive international environment,” he concluded.

British Cycling says that applications for both the junior and senior academies will open next month, with more details available on its website.