Young athletes from nine countries, aged 16 to 21, gathered at the UCI World Cycling Centre (UCI WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland, from 9 to 15 October for the 16th edition of its annual cyclo-cross training camp, an intensive course aimed at nurturing the talents of promising young riders. The Omnium Romand de Cyclo-cross, an event on Swiss Cycling’s national calendar, will also give participants a chance to put their training to the test this Sunday.
The camp has brought together 21 athletes (12 women and nine men) from Afghanistan, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Luxemburg, Serbia and Switzerland.
With its hills, forest trails, pump track and obstacles specifically prepared for the camp, the terrain around the UCI WCC provides a perfect training ground for the young talents seeking to develop their technical skills and familiarise themselves with cyclo-cross. This is the case especially for athletes coming from countries without a strong tradition in this incredibly technical discipline. The cyclo-cross training camp organised by the UCI WCC therefore offers a unique opportunity to learn from internationally experienced coaches and riders of different levels.
17-year-old Regina Bruchner from Hungary has practiced cyclo-cross for five years already. More experienced in mountain bike, she really enjoys cyclo-cross and explains that it has become a big sport in Hungary, particularly with the performances of the versatile Blanka Vas, double medalist at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.
Iva Škrbić, also 17, from neighboring Serbia, says: “I’m here to learn new things. To train, develop more skills, but also to have fun and meet new friends. Cyclo-cross is between mountain bike and road and that is why it’s so fun. I have learned a lot this week, doing bunny hops, going uphill and getting off the bike without stopping, going up banked hills without falling, taking corners with good lines”.
Icelandic Tómas Rist Björgvinsson, aged 17, is extremely motivated, as he explains that cyclo-cross training helps him to perform better in other off-road specialties: “I would like to become a professional mountain bike cross-country rider. I’m here to get more skills on the bike, more endurance. Those are my main goals. I do almost all of the off-road disciplines. Iceland is so small that you have to do everything to be good. You can’t just be in one discipline. But cyclo-cross is becoming bigger in Iceland. It has grown a lot over the last three years, similar to gravel”.
And he has learned a lot: “I have way more confidence on the bike now. I have learnt to take corners better, ride downhill and I have gotten better at bunny hops. I am definitely much more confident”.
Afghanistan does not have a strong cyclo-cross tradition, but Arezo Sarwari (18 years old) and Zarah Rezayee (20 years old) were keen to join the training camp. They fled their home country in August 2021 and are now living in Italy, where they focus mainly on road cycling, having joined the UCI Women’s Continental team Valcar – Travel & Service. Both girls know the UCI WCC well, as they participated alongside 48 other young Afghan female athletes in the 2022 Women’s Road Championships of Afghanistan, held in Aigle nearly one year ago.
Arezo says she is glad to be back here, to be riding on the roads of the National Championships again, a happy memory for her. She has taken up cyclo-cross as she loves sport in general and wants to learn new things: “Cyclo-cross is also running, which I like, and I really wanted to try something new. I have learned so many things here, as it’s my first time trying cyclo-cross. I already learned the techniques and have improved a lot this week. This will definitely help me in the road races.”
The athletes benefit from the expert guidance of coach Ed Collins (GBR) and Italian champion Eva Lechner, both members of the UCI Cyclo-cross Commission. Lechner’s international racing experience is also put to good use in the evening theory sessions, during which athletes learn how to plan races, how to prepare, what to do on race days and how to analyse races. Providing valuable support throughout the camp are also coaches Paul Birchall (IRL) from Ireland Cycling and Anna Wiese (POL), coach at the UCI WCC and working with the centre’s Women’s Continental Team, the WCC team. In addition to learning cycling skills, the intense programme for the week has included sessions on athlete welfare and integrity, social media management and education on anti-doping.
The end of the cyclo-cross camp will coincide with the first round of the Omnium Romand de Cyclo-cross, organised by the Association Romande de Cyclocross on Sunday 15 October on the UCI WCC’s grounds. The race is open to riders of all levels, including licensed and non-licensed participants, in various categories. Most of the training camp participants will take the opportunity to challenge themselves and their newly learnt skills in the race on Sunday.