About
Our Mission
The mission of Ignite Junior Cycling Team is to provide high performance training and racing opportunities such that athletes get to more preparatory training camps and subsequent race ‘start lines’ than any other team in the country.
Our Vision
The vision of Ignite Junior Cycling Team is to facilitate athlete development and enhance a specific performance pathway for Canadian Junior cyclists in Canada to bridge the gap between Junior and U23 levels.
Our Commitment
Ignite Junior Cycling Team Commitment includes: Talent Identification, Physiological Development, Competition Experiences, Positive Team Dynamics and Equal Opportunity.
Our Pillars for Success
Education
Athletes will learn and understand training and racing metrics for competition. Athletes will learn to apply experiences to subsequent opportunities. Athletes will be inspired to balance academics and athletics during their junior years.
Race Craft
Athlete development is enhanced through repetition and racing experience. Bike Handling, Race Tactics and Team Execution are skills necessary for junior development.
Competition
Competition allows athletes to test themselves and their training adaptations. Competition will contribute to an athlete’s skill set and prepare them for higher levels of competition.
Champions
Athletes who train and race as a team, develop as individuals and become champions for life… on and off the bike! They are ambassadors for cycling and for the community.
Our Story
While Ignite Junior Cycling is entering its third successful season under this branding, it has a long history in Canadian Junior Cycling and is excited to be looking to the future for continued success.
Nine years ago, former Provincial Cycling Coach Kevin Simms, assembled a small group of committed junior cyclists who he felt would benefit from training and racing together as a Road Endurance Cycling Team. Coupled with local cycling supporters, sponsors and financial backers, Kevin registered a team called the Centurion Cycling Team. From this team, 4 of the 9 riders in that program went on to race with Pro Road programs like Toronto Hustle, HR Block, Silber and Floyd’s Pro Cycling teams. As well, 2 of these athletes went on to race at the Junior World Championships, proudly representing Canada and their Centurion Junior Team. All of the athletes coming out of the Centurion Cycling Team will confirm that the Junior Development experiences they gained were critical in their successes in the sport of cycling and in their personal lives.
In 2021, Kevin Simms officially partnered with the Toronto Hustle Cycling Platform to once again create a high performance Junior Road Cycling Team committed to preparing athletes for cycling success. The junior Team objectives revolved around developing junior talent and building a sustainable program. Knowing that Junior aged athletes need to be immersed in the cycling culture of Europe, Kevin decided to embark upon an annual European Racing Campaign with the team. Athletes were exposed to Kermesse events, stage racing and traveling between Belgium, France, Spain and Switzerland. Once again, the team was able to graduate riders to U23 pro teams with Gavin Hadfield and Luke Valenti moving onto the European Based Premier Tech U23 program. Kevin has refined and repeated the process of developing Junior Cycling talent in Canada.
In 2023, Kevin leveraged the knowledge and skills of Chris Reid from NCIM, Michael Barry from Mariposa Cycling and Board members John Monette / Liam Philly to keep the momentum moving forward with Junior Cycling in Canada. The team officially Re-Branded to IGNITE JUNIOR CYCLING in 2023 and beyond. We are united in our plans to create the best Junior Cycling Program in Canada. With each successful season, the team is consistently graduating riders to domestic and European U23 squads.
