Its been a while since I last blogged. Guess I have had little to say on the subject of cycling lately, other than ride your bike and enjoy. I like to blog when I have something to say .. well that time has come again, and I am pulling out the soap box.
Success in anything in life requires structure. Right? A system, a plan, a way to get from A to B. Its my opinion (and I stress my opinion), that this system in cycling in general has, and is crumbling. More so in women's cycling than men's simply because the pool is smaller.
Think about it, five to ten years ago we had talent coming through the 'system' and headed for greatness. The best SA has seen to date in women's cycling has come through this 'system'. I speak of a 'system'... what am I on about?
We had in place a proper structure (or lets say better than we have now). It went something like this. Josephine Blogs joins her local cycling club. She starts in the beginner bunch and after a couple of rides realises she can move to the D and C group. Within 6 months she is riding regularly and is keeping up with the top girls in the club. She gets noticed and is invited to participate in the monthly Inter-club series. She then participates in her local Provincials and then at inter-provincials. She gets her racing license and joins the racing Elite girls. Josephine is really determined to succeed so although she gets spat out on the first climb for the first 6 months of racing, she gets a coach and improves. She receives her provincial colours. Through good coaching, a bit of club sponsorship and guidance, she becomes a regular in the racing peleton at the races. She gets noticed by a team manager and is signed up on a professional team. She starts as a team helper and works her way up in the ranks eventually becoming one of the strongest team riders. If the team is affiliated to an international team (as has been the case in the last two years with the Lotto Belisol team) she has the chance to show case her talent at an international level.
The above example shows how someone with talent was able to work her way from the bottom of the pyramid to the top. Where is that structure today? No more Inter-club. If we can't filter talent through from a club level, how can we possibly find the talent of the future? Provincials have become so small because very few people at a club level know how to take the next step from club to provincial. Inter-provincials no longer take place. So provinces are not given the opportunity to compete against one another. Then we have the pinnacle called SA Champs. Yes, this still exists, but how do we get the talented beginner eighteen year old Josephine from starting at club level to SA Champs? If she wants to get there she still can, but she is going to have to be incredibly street wise all on her own. Not necessarily a bad thing but this I believe is why we now sit with only a handful of talented junior riders. As we have seen from the past perhaps fifty percent of the handful will make it into Elites, so where does this leave the sport of womens cycling? I my opinion it is dying a sad death and will continue to until we look at the structure.
(In my opinion) it should look something like this:
Step 1: Schools:
It must start at a schools level. Mountainbiking and track in particular, to keep it safe for the youngsters. This is the launching pad into getting youngsters to join clubs, once they leave school or beforehand.
Step 2: Clubs
Clubs need to offer Inter-Club racing again. Full stop! This in turn will motivate riders to license and race Elite.
Step 3: Racing License
Step 4: Provincials
The best from the clubs will feed through to Provincials.
Step 5: Inter-Provincials
The best from Provincials will feed through to Inter -Provincials.
Step 6: Nationals
The best from Inter-Provincials will feed through to National Champs.
Step 7: International
The best from Nationals and the top women from professional racing locally feed through to International teams.
Nope, its not rocket science! Its just a system to ensure we find the talent we know exists in this country.
I dont mean for this article to be negative, anything but! Lets fix it!
Ok, done soap box shoved under my bed again...
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