Campbell completes UCI training camp

ELITE national female cyclist, Teneil Campbell, recently concluded her 15-month training stint at the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland.

Throughout this duration, Campbell underwent several intense training sessions under the expert tutelage of some of the globe’s most experienced coaches. The four-time Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) medallist also racked up several commendable performances on the European road circuit.

Some of her achievements with the WCC were capturing the most stage wins at the Tour de Belle Isle en Terre - Kreiz Breizh Elites Dames, runner-up at the Women’s Tour of Thailand and 2019 Pan American Games road race, third at Pan American Championships road race, fifth in the Danilith Nokere Koerse voor Dames and sixth at the Chrono Champenois Trophee Europeen and SPAR Flanders Diamond Tour. Campbell also competed in the 2019 World Championships in England with her WCC squad.

Following the completion of her training, Campbell took to Facebook to express her gratitude to those who aided her athletic development over the past few months.

“The time has come to say goodbye. I will always be grateful for the huge opportunity given to me here at the UCI World Cycling Centre. It has been an amazing 15 months training, growing and racing with the team. To my teammates for pushing me during training sessions from the moment I arrived to the centre (until now). They all motivated me in many ways to be better, which landed solid results for the season. (I’m) grateful for the staff who worked behind the scenes to ensure logistics were in place for races, our machines worked properly and legs recovered, ready to race. The World Cycling Centre will always have a special place in my heart as being here had a major impact on my career. I am now able to chase my dreams,” she wrote.

The talented road racer also reflected her performance at the World Championships. Although disappointed with her performance in the Individual Time Trial, Campbell believes she has gained much-needed experience and knowledge from being “pushed to the limit” by her coached and teammates in Aigle.

“The road race was brutal!...It was a very challenging course but I know my capabilities and I was ready both physically and mentally. I never panicked when I got dropped on the super steep climb when the attacks started. I made it safely to the Harrogate circuit with the main chasing group. The mistake that occurred was not getting fed in the feed zone and having to resort to the car where I got caught up in a crash on the most challenging section on the circuit. I just didn’t have the legs or fuel in the tank to chase back as I was already dipping in my reserves. I can be satisfied with completing my first World Championships amongst the world’s greatest, that’s an honour in itself. These ladies are inspiring.

Next year is another year and there’s a lot of work to put in,” she posted.

The WCC is a training and education facility recognised by the International Olympic Committee. This which welcomes around 100 athletes a year to train in cycling’s varying Olympic disciplines.

In 2019, a group of the Centre’s women trainees formed the new WCC team. Six of the team members – from Paraguay, Eritrea, Argentina, Belarus, Ethiopia and TT Campbell) – were already UCI WCC trainees last year, while two other women – from Switzerland and Ireland – were selected in 2019.