A few days ago, talking with Rubbers, the former pro, now based in Florida, underlined how in his time, at the turn of the century, the dominant schools were the classical ones (Italy, Spain, Belgium), while the countries that are most popular today almost did not exist and among these he also mentioned Great Britain and British cycling.
That Great Britain that we know is now an absolute reference. From the Tours of Wiggins e Froome to the world championship sprints as well Cavendish, from the successes of the brothers Yachts to the new that advances through pidcock e Hayter. How did Britain become so strong on two wheels?
Retracing its recent history can also serve as a good example for Italy. However, one factor must be taken into consideration: We are talking about a system that was set up to support all sports. and from this point of view, while considering the British one of the leading nations of the sports movement as Tokyo 2020 has also demonstrated, on the other hand We cannot ignore the fact that Italy is experiencing truly flourishing seasons in sport, with an unprecedented number of successes.
The problem is that cycling, once a benchmark sport, is now lost in the mainstream. It relies almost exclusively on the extraordinary feats of female and male track athletes.
From Atlanta to Tokyo
Great Britain, now almost dominant in sport, is the child of a sensational debacle, of its lowest point reached at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: just as Italy finished sixth in the medal table with 13 golds, 10 silvers and 12 bronzes and the feats of chechi, Vezzali but also of Collinelli, Bellutti e Piece.
Great Britain, on the other hand, slipped to 36th place with only one gold, that of the rowing "coxless pair" thanks to Redgrave e PinsentThe Albion team had only reached the podium in six sports, and cycling was one of them, but these were still sporadic appearances.
Previous editions hadn't been exceptional, but it had certainly never reached such a low point, and it caused a huge uproar. So much so that the government had to take matters into its own hands: the system needed to be rebuilt. The prime minister at the time was John Major, which gave six months to think about something capable of relaunching the sport as a whole.
In May 1997 the UK Sports World Class Performance Programme was unveiled: it was a gateway to a system of disguised professionalism.Athletes considered top performers in each discipline, eligible for an Olympic medal, would be supported by a top-level staff. They would also receive a regular salary commensurate with their performance. To finance the system, which required a river of money, a public lottery was used. It guaranteed something like a billion pounds for each Olympic quadrennium.
Academy divided into two levels
The growth in results was clear: just four years later in Sydney, the number of gold medals rose from one to 11. Then they continued to grow, and the program became firmly established in the English sports system. Furthermore, there were preparations for the 2012 home Olympics to prepare for, where the total number of gold medals reached 29, and that trend has never reversed.
The system, as mentioned, has been improved; let's see how it is applied in cycling. Every year a large number of riders are selected and placed in the basic academies at two levels, junior and senior, based on age..
We are working in anticipation of Paris 2024 but also of Los Angeles 2028, giving the youngest players time to gradually approach the top of their chosen specialty. The criteria is interesting: the students must send an application for acceptance (this year the deadline was July 21st) and the response, positive or negative, will arrive by August 18th for seniors and 31st for juniors.
Almost like the USA
The choice is made on the basis of three discriminants: 1) the performances and results of the last three years. 2) Test and data deemed worthy of attention. 3) Subjective analysis by the coach based on criteria agreed upon with the national technical director of the discipline and the Performance Pathway Manager, who oversees the work of the entire group.
At that point the athlete can be included in the academy on a permanent basis or considered "sub judice": he will be granted a period of 3 months in a confirmation program, at the end of which it will be established whether he will be suitable to move up a level.In this second case, however, the athlete is not funded and must be available on weekends. Those who are not accepted can apply the following year.
Those who are accepted will have a life similar to that of American student-athletes, combining study with cycling to achieve the best in both areas.The program is very intense and competitive, high-performance and empowering.
It's not enough to have great technical ability, but you also need a strong character, capable of handling victory and defeat, exactly as happens overseas.
Win and earn
The program is mainly dedicated to the track, BMX and MTB specialties that are part of the Olympic program.
The junior academy is open to riders aged 16 to 18 (but for BMX it starts at 14), while the senior academy is open to riders aged up to 22. Those who, in the meantime, show significant progress to the point of climbing the international rankings and providing sufficient guarantees of being able to compete for the Olympic podium will be admitted to the Olympic Podium Programme, which guarantees a generous salary.
The results in various fields demonstrate that the system works: the challenge across the Channel for the British has already begun…
