Since opening its doors in 2001, the staff at the UCI World Cycling Centre have nurtured, coached and mentored hundreds of cyclists from 113 countries the world over. These athletes have been sent by their National Federation or detected in the UCI Continental Centres, UCI National Technical Centres or by UCI coaches.
This week, Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu follows in the footsteps of these cyclists. On Wednesday, her 20th birthday, she became the 1000th trainee to pass the centre’s doors and wear the colours of the UCI World Cycling Centre. The fifth Rwandan to train at the UCI WCC, she is her country’s first female athlete to join the centre’s programme.
The role of the UCI WCC is to help the trainees realise their full potential by providing them with the equipment, coaching and racing that they do not necessarily benefit from in their own countries. For some, the aim is to win a national championships, others to shine at continental level while still others have gone on to win gold at a UCI World Championships or Olympic Games.
Athletes who have trained at the WCC have obtained three Olympic titles, seven silver medals and six bronze medals. At the UCI World Championships for different disciplines they have won 38 world titles, 24 silver medals and 15 bronze medals. Still more have gone on to sign contracts with professional teams.
Some of them look back at their apprenticeship at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle.
Track cyclist turned coach, Ross Edgar was among the first track cycling intake at the UCI World Cycling Centre, arriving before the construction of the veolodrome. He went on to win Olympic silver in the keirin (Beijing 2008), two silver medals in the team sprint at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (2007 and 2008) and two bronze medals in the keirin (2007) and team sprint (2010).
“My time at the World Cycling Centre was excellent preparation for my professional career. I learnt how to train, how your body feels when you train hard and the balance between training hard but not pushing too much. It was a really good start with a good group. I made friends for life.”
Among her impressive track cycling palmares, Victoria Pendleton has two Olympic titles (sprint in Beijing 2008 and keirin in London 2012) as well as nine World Championship titles.
“I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend some time as a stagiaire at the World Cycling Centre. It was my first introduction to full-time training. It was a steep learning curve but the physical preparation it gave me was invaluable and put me in an excellent position at the start of my elite career… it was a wonderful and life-changing experience which I will cherish forever.”
A professional with UCI WorldTeam Team Cannondale-Garmin, in 2012 Navardauskas became the first Lithuanian to wear the pink leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia (stages 4 to 6). The following year he won an individual stage of the Giro, and last year a stage of the Tour de France.
“I have very good memories of my time at the World Cycling Centre in 2006. I was just a young kid with no idea what I should do with my life. My coach taught me how important it is to look at yourself as a professional. Every training session was very professional but we still had time for some fun. I met a lot of people and some of them became very good friends.”
After a bronze medal in the sprint at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Guo Shuang went on to win three medals at in London 2012: silver in the team sprint and keirin, and bronze in the individual sprint. She also has numerous World Championships medals to her name, including gold in the keirin in 2009.
“The UCI World Cycling Centre enabled me to become one of the world’s top riders. When I arrived at the WCC I was just 16 years old and I was given all the chances to be stronger and stronger. I met a good coach (Frédéric Magné) who taught me everything.”
Reigning African Champion in the team time trial with his Eritrean team, Natnael Berhane has won a total of six African titles over the years. On leaving the UCI World Cycling Centre, he signed a professional contract with Team Europcar for 2013-2014, and in 2015 rides for MTN-Qhubeka. He won the Tour of Turkey in 2013 and the Tropicale Amissa Bongo last year.
“The WCC coaches taught me how to get ready for a race and how to adjust my training. They also taught me how to recover after a race, which is really important. It was an amazing chance to train at the WCC, especially when you come from Africa because, over there, there is nobody to notice you and no structure to train you as a professional. With the other athletes, the coaches and the mechanics at the WCC, we were almost like a family. All the time spent at the WCC was amazing!”
UCI World Cycling Centre Director Frédéric Magné welcomed the newest trainee to the UCI World Cycling Centre: “Our aim is give young athletes all the tools necessary to develop their talent. Guided by our professional road, track and BMX coaches, they get a taste of what it is like to train and race full time. We help them prepare for their major goals and adapt the training programmes according to their objectives and their level.
“It is incredibly gratifying to see our trainees succeed, be it at a national, continental or international level. It is also important that they get pleasure from the environment at the WCC and I sincerely hope that Jeanne d’Arc will also collect good memories during her stay with us at the World Cycling Centre.”