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A new training course currently under way at the World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland, is aimed at the people behind the athletes… the coaches.
The WCC has developed this new Coaching Development Programme (CDP) in partnership with British Cycling with the aim of raising the standard of coaching worldwide. Five courses will be held in 2010.
WCC Director Frédéric Magné explains the importance of this latest initiative: “Talented riders can be found throughout the world, but their progress depends for a large part on the quality of their training. The aim of the CDP is to create a global network of coaches who are capable of guiding their riders through to the highest level.”
Each eight-week course is open to a maximum of 12 coaches who will benefit from theory sessions that are closely linked to valuable practical experience.
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Practical experience alongside WCC coaches and athletes
This unique practical experience allows the course participants to work out in the field alongside professional WCC coaches and high level trainees who are on the World Cycling Centre’s tailored training courses for athletes. Coaches on the first course of the year have been working with the group of 25 track cyclists currently training at the centre, including two-time individual pursuit World Champion Sarah Hammer (USA). The trainees come from 10 countries and are currently preparing for major events including the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Copenhagen (Denmark) at the end of March, and the Asian and Pan-American Continental Championships.
On the theory side, the course covers a wide range of topics including, good coaching practice, planning and prescribing training, nutrition, coaching with power, analysing performances and coach/rider partnerships.
The Coaching Development Programme, developed for coaches working at a national level, is split into three qualifications: UCI Level 1 Coaching Certificate, UCI Level 2 Coaching Certificate and the UCI Coaching Diploma. The already existing UCI Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications have been redesigned and are supported by new material provided by British Cycling.
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Improvement in quality of coaching worldwide
“The WCC is becoming a genuine university of cycling professions,” points out Frédéric Magné. “The programme will lead to an improvement in the quality of the coaching offered to cyclists around the world. This means that it is of very great importance to the development of cycling.”
The person managing the programme is WCC’s Coach Education Manager Keith Flory. He explains: “Quality coaching is fundamental to the development of all sports, and cycling is no exception. Behind every successful nation, every top rider, there is a coach or a team of coaches working to help their riders achieve peak performances.
“The CDP provides an opportunity for coaches from throughout the world to learn new skills and knowledge, whilst also refining their current practices. Our aim is to develop coaches who have the expertise to work with riders and maximise their performance potential. Investment in the development of coaches will result in better cyclists and a continued growth of the sport.”
The CDP is designed not only for coaches without formal qualifications, but also for confirmed coaches who already have certificates to their names.
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Former professional cyclist praises new initiative for coaches
Former professional cyclist-turned coach, Slovenian Branko Filip is nearing the end of this year’s first CDP course, which he has been able to attend thanks to the support of Olympic Solidarity. When the course finishes on February 26th, he will take his new-found expertise back to Slovenia where he is coach with the UCI Continental Team, Adria Mobil. He says the course has gone far beyond his expectations.
“I had been looking for a course like this. As an ex-professional I have a lot of experience as a rider, but less as a coach. This course is of a very high level, and it has been extremely beneficial to have British Cycling’s input as they have many new ideas and vast knowledge and experience.
“When I was racing as a professional, I had a sports director but not a coach. I was 24 years old and it was very difficult to know how to train. I was very confused and I think this is the problem of a lot of professional riders.”
Coaches on the course have been able to exchange ideas and experiences, and once the course is finished they will be able to keep in contact benefiting from on-going support from the World Cycling Centre for any specific questions or problems.
Four of the courses proposed at the WCC this year will be aimed at coaches of the track and road disciplines: January 11th – February 26th, March 8th – April 30th, May 3rd – June 25th and October 25th – December 17th while the course from August 30th to October 22nd will be aimed at BMX and mountain bike coaches. These courses will be held in English.
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For additional information and registration coaches can contact:
World Cycling Centre, 1860 Aigle, Switzerland, coaching@uci.ch.
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UCI Communication Services
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Photo : Kasa Gabor (Serbia) and Luka Zele (Slovenia)
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