One of the key reasons for the development of The Revolution Series, which concludes for this season on Saturday night at Manchester Velodrome, was the Future Stars competition, which features young riders from around the UK competing in events which match those of the elite riders on the night. This Series the Future Stars Competition has been supported by Decathlon with the riders fighting it out for the top prize of a superb Decathlon road bike worth over £1000, “we are very proud to support the first Revolution future stars competition,” commented Decathlon’s Marketing Manager Dragan Kosanovic, “and we hope that the prizes have proved a great incentive for the young riders and will assist the winners in their future development.” Indeed, the competition has been fierce and the racing spectacular as the confidence and experience of these young cyclists has grown. The extent to which these riders really are future stars has been demonstrated in no uncertain terms in the last week as many of the riders who feature in the competition were selected to take part in the inaugural “Olympic Development Programme” Training Week started by British Cycling and run by the newly appointed, and provisionally titled, Olympic Development Coach Darren Tudor. At this stage the program is in a pilot stage but there are big plans for the future: “Up until October, this is a pilot program and after we’ll be selecting the riders. This is a whole new program for the riders, British Cycling and for me. It’s about bringing all the coaches and managers together so we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet and there is a smooth pathway from the talent team to the juniors, the under 23s and then the senior squad.” The riders who have made it into this esteemed group have all featured in the Revolution Future Stars Competition, most notably the series leaders Steven Burke, Andy Tennant and Adam Blythe. It has been a gruelling week but one that all the cyclists seem to have enjoyed, and one that they hope will help them move forward and, as well as potentially enabling them to compete at major competitions, give them the experience they need to move into the elite category at next seasons Revolution events. As Andy Tennant, who currently lies in second after a storming performance at Revolution 7 in January, says “I would love to ride the World Junior Track Championships this year and race on the road abroad. It would be great if I got to ride the elite race at Revolution next year. The crowd atmosphere at Revolution is brilliant it is what makes the series special.” There will be a taste of what riding in the elite category is like for all three of our leading “Future Stars” as they have been selected to take part in the all star Madison event at the end of the night, meaning that for the first time they will be riding with the likes of Double Olympic medallist Rob Hayles, Olympic Silver Medallists Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli and a whole host of other stars. Their participation in the event serves as a testament to how hard these young riders have worked to improve their skills and how much Revolution has helped their confidence and tactical knowledge. Details When?: 26th February 2005 For all the news and latest announcements, take a look at www.cyclingrevolution.com. As ever tickets are available to purchase in advance from www.cyclingrevolution.com or by calling 0700 594 2579. Tickets will also be available on the door. |
