04.24.09 - National BMX ID and development Team Plans: 2008/2009 Season & Looking ahead to 2012

The Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to announce the following plans for the coming BMX Season. Our goal is to develop riders with the potential to medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and beyond, and to come out of the ’08/09 season with a clear pathway towards 2012 and beyond.

Junior and Elite Athletes who believe that they have the potential to medal at major Games and championships in the next four years should email Nicholas Vipond at the CCA at icholas.vipond@canadian-cycling.com with their current race results and the reasons why they have what it takes to contribute to
Olympic medal performances. This must be submitted to the CCA by April 29th 2009 for athletes interested in attending the Western Canada Talent ID camp and by May 3rd 2009 for athletes interested in attending the Eastern Canada Talent ID Camp.

From these applications, selected athletes will be invited to an Eastern or Western training camp, the first being Airdrie (May 11th to 14th). This camp will allow riders to perform at their current level with the goal of being identified by the appointed CCA Coach. This camp is for those riders that want to commit to BMX racing at a national and international level for the next 4 years, those who don’t feel that they can commit to training and racing at this level for the next four years should not apply. The goal of this camp will be to identify the pool of riders for the National ID Team aiming at London 2012 and beyond. These camps will be self-funded and the athletes will be responsible for their own flight, accommodation and food during the camp, as well as a small camp fee.

For the camps the CCA will be providing Coaching staff as well as experts in fields such as physiological testing, nutrition and strength and conditioning where possible. The camps will consist of track sessions to measure performance as well as skill development, off track testing, and information sessions. Selected athletes will be contacted by May1st 2009 for the Western Camp and by May 4th 2009 for the Eastern Camp.

The CCA will be running 3 Talent ID Camps (1 west, 1 east and 1 in Chula Vista)

Western camp: Airdrie, AB / Calgary, AB (May 11th to 14th)
Eastern camp: Kingston, ON (May 28th to May 31st)

The first 2 camp will serve as identifier camps to create a BMX ID pool. From the first two camps athletes will be selected to attend the camp in Chula Vista. At the Chula Vista camp athlete’s will be selected to be supported at the BMX SX event in Chula Vista on September 19th.

Chula Vista: at US OTC (August 24th to 30th)