A different approach to developing junior riders

The team concept

The concept is to create a junior development team to help excite, encourage and develop young riders reach their full road cycling potential, based on their aspirations and ability. This will mean different outcomes for each rider.

All of our riders are expected to maintain a healthy balance, do their best at school and maintain personal interests and projects outside of road cycling. Some of our riders may choose to train with us and compete in local or regional competitions only, whilst others may have their sights set on competing nationally and internationally, or even a pro-riding career. Our aim is to help each rider eventually leave the team in the best possible shape for the future, even if that means enjoying road cycling as a lifelong interest.

Attitude is crucial. Our team values are central to everything we do as a team, and form part of the selection criteria for new team members.

From a coaching perspective, we are following current international junior development best practice from Europe, and take a data-driven approach to training. The team also has links to clubs and teams in Europe. The team coach and team manager are unpaid/volunteers.

The has been registered with Cycling New Zealand as a development team and is now ready for the first two seasons during calendar years 2022 and 2023. The team is open to up to 12 boys in the U15-19 age groups, based in the South Island. There is an option for full team members, as well as associate (training only) members. Riders will be able to apply to join at any time. More information about how to apply will follow once the team is registered.

The Southern Junior approach to training: less is better

Our team recommends to our riders our “less is better” approach, based on modern and innovative training methods. We basically train less but better: fewer hours but more intensities. We also adapt their training load to the results of each rider’s physiological tests.

Our best riders spend around 50% less time on their bike compared to their main competitors, and are already at the same level. This means they have a high chance of reaching the U19 and U23 category with a fresh mind and body and with heaps of potential for development at a time when they will then need to increase their hours.

We are strong believers that a majority of top young New Zealand riders are overtrained, which could explain why they perform so well in the U15 or U17 categories internationally, followed by limited progression in U19 and U23 catergories.

We think our approach will allow our riders to be more competitive if they become top national or international riders, but it will also give them a better balance if they become recreational riders and just want to enjoy cycling for the long haul.

It’s not about volume

Alongside our team values, we follow a well defined approach in the way we plan our race calendar and training schedules. This approach is driven as much by how we want to train as which races we want to target. Our programme is not defined by the volume of training and races we complete, but rather each rider’s improvement over time.

Coach Alex Guichard, who volunteers his time and expertise to the team, takes a data-driven approach to setting an individualised training schedule for each of the riders, with performance data being reviewed frequently, and the training programme being recalibrated often as performance data unfolds.

Giving back to the community is core to the team ethos

The team philosophy is that it’s essential that the team is connected to the community. Southern Junior riders commit to giving back in a number of ways.

Alongside the training and racing programme for the team, we have worked on a series of activities which will have the team involved at community level, giving back to the communities they are part of.