In a world where ‘Commitment’ can often be elusive, there's something truly extraordinary about staying true to one's promises. My own mantra for commitment has always been paired with the "underpromise and over deliver” trademark. After months of meticulous planning and countless hours on the ground, working alongside dedicated riders on exciting race projects, I have just completed this year's final commitment to the Ignite Junior Cycling initiative!

The Junior Tour of Ireland was a success on every level for Ignite as we not only won the overall classification but also had several strong performances on stages. Upon reflection, the foundation of the team’s success was based on three key principles, around which I have often rallied while helping junior cyclists: Consistency, Conversion and Culminating.

As a director of various cycling teams for the past 25 years, my main focus has always been on providing ample chances for athletes to shine. The more opportunities I created, the more the athletes were exposed to new perspectives…

When working with Junior riders, I have traditionally been a strong advocate of athletes training and competing in a variety of disciplines rather than specializing early in their careers. There are many benefits for those who choose to clip into a set of BMX, MTB, GVL or CX cleats even though they primarily race on the ‘Road’.

While living here in Canada, it is often difficult for Junior Road Endurance athletes to get longer training miles in the legs and more importantly, much needed early season “in real life” racing. Most riders spend time on the Velodrome, The Zwift Platform or cross training with sports like Nordic Skiing. Don’t get me wrong, these are fantastic training tools, however…