Cycling enthusiasts welcome UCI satellite centre status for Nat'l Cycling centre

LOCAL cycling enthusiasts welcome the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) and Ministry of Sport and Community Development’s moves to transition the National Cycling Centre in Couva into an International Cycling Union-sanctioned satellite centre.

TTCF president Rowena Williams, Sport Company of TT (SporTT) CEO Jason Williams and its head of partnership and alliances Karion Serrette are currently in Belgium finalising details of this developmental venture with UCI officials.

Joining discussions are UCI international relations representative Vincent Jacquet, Pan American Confederation of Cycling president Jose Palaez, Caribbean Cycling Confederation president Trevor Bailey and Ambassador to Belgium Colin Connelly.

A satellite centre is a special training hub for athletes coming from developing countries. It provides the same path to elite success by hosting training camps to nurture young athletes and to assist in cycling development within the region.

There, the sessions, athletes and coaches involved will follow a UCI-sanctioned programme. Cyclists will benefit from modern training schedules and tactics to help them reach a world-class standard.

“We’re excited about it and cannot wait for this to happen. We have seen nations where satellite centres have been set up, improved drastically.

“They do a lot of UCI training in coaching and mechanics to further develop the nations. Not only attracting cyclists but from certifying coaches and mechanics among others,” said Roger Frontin, Rigtech Sonics manager and coach.

The satellite centre is more than just an athlete training centre. It will create and develop a High Performance structure that will operate at all levels, from talent detection to the coaching of juniors through to the elite level.

The centre will also focus on coach education, mechanics training and the development of administrative, technical and medical staff.

Frontin added, “TT’s mechanics have travelled as far as the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland to do training and better their craft. Now it would be available right so we would have a wider cadre of mechanics and coaches right here in TT.”

A satellite centre will not only improve cyclists in TT but also those in the Caribbean and Americas. It is designed to serve as a training and development base for surrounding nations.

There are four operational satellite centres in the world; Japan, South Korea, South Africa and India. India’s is the latest of the four and was commissioned by UCI in 2015.

Since then, India’s cyclists have blossomed, particularly male sprinter Esow Alben. In 2019, the 20-year-old won team sprint gold at the UCI Junior World Championships. It was India’s maiden medal at the World Championships.

He followed it up with a silver medal in the men’s individual sprint, and bronze in his favoured keirin event.

Alben was then invited to the prestigious Berlin Sechstagerennen (six-day) event where he won the keirin ahead of the likes of Olympic silver medalist Maximilian Levy (Germany).

India however, was ranked 29th ahead of the Tokyo Games and this meant there was no chance for them to qualify.

Before Nicholas Paul and Kwesi Browne’s brazen display at the Summer Games, the pair trained for several months at the World Cycling Centre (WCC) under Scottish coach Craig McLean. The WCC is a similar venue that provides elite services to riders seeking to reach the top flight. The Swiss cycling headquarters played an instrumental role in preparing both Paul and Browne, and even Teniel Campbell, for their respective Olympic debuts in Japan.

Gene “Geronimo” Samuel, one of TT’s most decorated cyclists, supports the move to develop the Couva facility into a satellite centre.

“Financially, it will be a big asset to us. For those who wanted to go to the UCI school and couldn’t, because they only take so many countries, having a satellite centre here augurs well for us.

“We in the Caribbean are blessed with a lot of talent. The opportunities have shown themselves. It’s going to do great things for us. This couldn’t come at a better time. There’s nothing really better than this. And it should also bring in some income,” said Samuel, who now plies his trade with The Braves.

Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe recently gave the all-clear for TTCF to begin the transition. They remain hopeful to attain UCI satellite centre status by early 2022.