MTB forums provide riders with the latest AusCycling pathway information

When riders from across the country come together for the annual Mountain Bike National Championships, AusCycling has another opportunity to meet face-to-face with the riding community and share information about pathway initiatives in the sport.

At Thredbo, almost 100 people took up such an opportunity, attending two AusCycling forums, specifically aimed at aspiring XCO and downhill athletes.

MTB & CX Pathways Manager Evan James, and Director of Pathways, Performance Donna Rae-Szalinski lead the cross-country forum, while James also drove the downhill presentation alongside Executive General Manager, Sport Kipp Kaufmann.

The forums gave attendees a chance to ask questions about the pathways in their sport, and as Rae-Szalinski indicated, the thirst to find out more was palpable.

“I think there’s an absolute desire for information, and that’s what came across to me. People want to understand what the pathway is, what’s available, how can they get better at what they’re doing, and how can we work together,” Rae-Szalinski said.

“There were a lot of excellent questions, so to me, there’s a quest for knowledge from the population, and it's now incumbent on us as a system to provide that.”

James shared a similar outlook, saying the forums provided an opportunity to clear the air and build a positive platform going forward.

“The idea was to give a very brief overview of all the development projects that we do, and in particular to make sure that people know where to go to find more information, and where to go from there,” James said.

“I could see positive faces in the group. The changes that we’ve made to the Development Academies from last year, I thought there might be some push-back, but it was actually positive.”

AusCycling Pathway Initiatives

• Development Academies: Aimed at 15- to 18-year-olds, Development Academies link in with the AIS and regional academies for sport to complement and enhance domestic local coaching. In 2023, these camps will focus on off-bike activities such as in-season planning, training, modalities, diet, and strength and conditioning.
• National Junior Travel Program: Designed to bring together under-17, under-19, and first-year Elite riders as cohorts, the Travel Program reduces barriers to competing at major selection events.
• 2023 UCI World Cup and World Championship Entry Requirements: Information was provided on Under-19 and Elite rider eligibility and entry requirements for these events, including mandatory selection requirements and minimum performance standards.

Cross-country riders were also provided information on AusCycling’s European XCO camp, and the Athlete Categorisation process, designed to identify and support athletes on the Olympic pathway.

For more information on the athlete pathway, riders are encouraged to visit the Competitive Rider Journey page on the AusCycling website, or the Selection page on the Australian Cycling Team website.