The Benefit of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Junior Cycling

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’.  

Now, with the addition of the National Cycling Institute Milton, this beautiful facility has become another breeding ground for a multidisciplinary approach to cycling development.  The velodrome ‘track’ programs now available to our community provide a fantastic platform for a typical Junior rider to begin their bike racing career. In a nurturing positive environment cycling can become a key element to their lives that can carry over into adulthood whether they end up racing in the Tour de France or just commuting to work.  In the compressed environment of a 250 meter velodrome, cyclists will organically advance bike handling skills, race craft and overall confidence, especially when riding in a ‘pack’ that is traveling at over 50 km/h.  


Ignite Junior Cycling, which is partnered with the National Cycling Institute Milton (NCIM), will provide a Road Endurance Team environment for riders once the track season is complete. Most recently, Ignite riders finished their track season at the Junior Nationals and are smoothly transitioning into a full Road Endurance program. This continuity keeps cohorts of riders together as they train and race with familiar faces. Our team is building the infrastructure, funding model and staff to support riders who are not only seeking opportunities to perform at a high level in the Road Endurance discipline, but in all disciplines of the sport.

Chris Reid who runs the NCIM and plays a huge role in developing our Junior track programs, was at this year's National Championships and had some observations from the races: 

“Ignite Junior Cycling converged on the Canadian Track Championships in Bromont Quebec at the beginning of April.  By the end of the weekend Charles Bergeron and Kaden Colling would be named to the Junior Worlds Team in Cali Colombia!  Other Ignite athletes Max, Antoine, Charles, Hudson won National Titles, while Nathan and Matthew were on the podium!

Track racing is a phenomenal discipline for development as it puts riders’ decision making and aerobic conditioning under constant pressure. The velodrome is a small field of play and the ‘bunch’ racing is fast and often hectic, with riders constantly having to make tactical decisions while under strain.  

For cyclists dealing with the harsh Canadian climate, racing on the velodrome gives riders the chance to learn race craft in shorter events multiple times a day, creating a body of experience to draw from when the road season starts that is otherwise hard to accumulate. The compressed environment of a velodrome is also ideal for coaching, as riders can get instant feedback from coaches who watch from the infield. 

The physical, tactical and technical benefits of racing the track are most apparent in the Madison. This event features two-rider teams racing around the track trading places with a hand sling every 2.5 laps – all while in a peloton of up to 18 teams!  The event is one of cycling’s most technically demanding and physically and mentally taxing. The average speed for the Junior boys at Nationals was a speedy 51 kph.  Not only do the riders sprint for points every ten laps but they also time their exchanges, navigate their way through the chaos of the other teams exchanging, and keep track of their position in the points standings. Essentially, it’s like doing high intensity  intervals, while playing poker, in the middle of a bar brawl for three quarters of an hour!

Internationally at the recent Milton Nations Cup in the top three teams, two of the riders race for World Tour teams on the road, one for a Pro Continental Team on the road and the others for Continental UCI teams road teams. This is obvious proof that there is a distinct connection in the capacity and decision making needed to thrive on the track maps over to the road.”  - Chris Reid, NCIM Coach 

The results at the Canadian National Track event have given me, as a team director, great confidence for the upcoming 2023 season. I see the skills among riders coming off a winter on the track as a huge springboard for competing in other disciplines. Coupled with our Road events this year, we encourage Ignite riders to tackle Gravel, MTB and CX courses when opportunity presents.  As a team we have enjoyed the opportunity to compete in a few Ontario ‘Spring Classics’ (Hell of the North and Paris to Ancaster) before the true Road Endurance racing begins.  

Paris to Ancaster Photos by Lauren Daniells Sports Photography

Racing bicycles in Europe, or often in the USA, is a completely different animal than what we are used to here in Ontario. Ignite Junior Cycling will race in Belgium, Ireland, France, the USA  and Switzerland this season. Across the Atlantic the race courses are tighter, there are more corners, the texture of the terrain is riddled with traffic islands and speed bumps which all require more cognitive processing. Not only is the racing more technical but it is also faster as the pelotons are larger and more competitive! The riders with a multi discipline approach have developed far superior skills to prepare themselves for this level of competition than those who choose a single cycling pathway. 

Our team has chosen to support 10 Junior athletes with the primary focus on domestic, National and International exposure for the Road Race, Track,  ITT and Crit disciplines.  The team will culminate its racing experience in Belgium for a Kermesse racing block for the entire team and with two UCI stage races in Switzerland for our U19 riders.  We will be the only Canadian Non-National team competing at a 2023 Nations Cup event, the premiere level of Junior Road Endurance racing. Our  Ignite riders have already had success on the road at the US National Jr Series in Arizona and will race at the next stop in the series in Georgia in June. 

Many thanks again to our valuable sponsors who have contributed financially to our team’s aspiration to become Canada’s premiere Junior team capable of competing in a variety of cycling disciplines. Our fundraising continues so that we can build a world class program that will bring Canadian riders into the next Olympic cycle. 

While our main focus in the coming months will be with Road Endurance discipline, our athletes bring to the table many skills that have been acquired on other types of bicycles. Stay tuned for the continued updates from Ignite Junior Cycling. 

Written by Kevin Simms, Sport Director, Ignite Junior Cycling