India’s cycling potential has been gaining recognition, with the arrival of French coach Kevin Sireau in January 2023 marking a strategic shift towards Olympic success. Sireau’s guidance has already yielded remarkable improvements, including a personal best timing of 44.451 seconds in the Asian Track Cycling Championship sprint race.
The quartet of Esow Alben, Y Rojit Singh, Ronaldo, and David have emerged as the face of Indian cycling, showcasing their prowess with a historic team sprint gold at the 2019 World Junior Track Cycling Championship and Ronaldo’s silver at the 2022 Asian Track Cycling Championship.
Jacques Landry, UCI WCC Director, believes India has the potential to become a cycling powerhouse in Asia. He emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach, including talent identification, coach education, and a robust competition calendar.
Landry highlights the importance of focusing on younger disciplines like BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle, which emphasize physical strength and technical proficiency. He also suggests hosting international events in India to boost popularity and attract more talent.
Despite the progress, Landry acknowledges the challenges India faces, including a lack of cycling history and limited financial support. He stresses the need for recurrent talent identification initiatives and qualified coaches to nurture the country’s potential.
Sireau has set a target for India to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Landry believes this goal is realistic, given the country’s population size and the potential for talent identification. He also emphasizes the importance of hosting international events to foster growth.
Landry explains that performance drop-offs from junior to elite levels can be attributed to factors such as increased competition depth and dropout rates. He suggests that juniors focus on minimizing the gap between their times and elite performances.
Mental strength plays a crucial role in cycling, as it encompasses psychological, tactical, and technical aspects. Landry emphasizes the importance of maintaining good mental health and focusing on psychological aspects to enhance performance.
The UCI WCC is collaborating with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) to enhance its capacity in various areas. The WCC is sharing its expertise in talent identification, infrastructure development, and athlete development.
Landry cites the success of the UCI WCC’s development programs in countries like China and South Korea. He believes the Delhi satellite can play a similar role in South Asia, fostering cycling growth and leading to Olympic and Paralympic qualification.
