The American cycling governing body, USA Cycling, today unveiled its Athlete Development Pathway (ADP), a clearly defined, step-by-step process for those wishing to race for Team USA.
Based on previous pilot programs like the Olympic Development Academy, ADP is focused on development and meant to educate athletes and parents alike about the opportunities available to them on their journey from local results to international achievement.
The idea is that young athletes can enter the pathway at any level and at any point during their racing career and find a place that will help them progress. Each level of the pathway is designed to provide pertinent education and development opportunities for an athlete to be best equipped to further their career to the next level.
Available for both road and mountain bike racing, the pathway consists of four steps: Day Camps, Talent Identifiers, Regional Camps, the Team USA Development Team and European Race Camps.
The journey starts with day camps, which will launch in the fall of 2023 in conjunction with local junior events to provide basic coaching and education for athletes and parents about development and race opportunities.
Talent identification will be done, in part, with the introduction of a power profile submission tool. To be discovered by USA Cycling, athletes ages 15 through 30 can opt to connect their TrainingPeaks account with that of a USA Cycling Talent ID coach.
Regional Camps have been a successful tool in the past and will make their post-COVID return this coming season. At these camps aspiring junior cyclists will receive the same coaching as elite athletes, and may be identified for further race opportunities with USA Cycling.
And as the final step in the process, European Race Camps will give those with WorldTour aspirations an opportunity to race in the epicenter of cycling. For a three-week block athletes will train under the guidance of top coaches and experience iconic races and courses. An immersive experience, the education includes all the foundations of elite competition including strength training, skills, nutrition, tactics, sports psychology and more.
Registration for some of the camps are now open, but these camps do come with a fee, ranging between $1,350 for some regional camps to $4,500 plus airfare for the European racing experience. USA Cycling tells us that some scholarships will be available for those in need. Learn more at https://usacycling.org/team-usa/athlete-development-pathway
