Slipstream Elevates Junior Development Program
6/17/11 – With the U.S. Junior National Championships around the corner, Slipstream Sports today announced it has stepped up its Junior Development program, which focuses on riders between 14-18 years old. The Chipotle Junior Development team has moved to a year-round program focusing on the development of young riders who show signs of elite potential. The junior development team continues to work as a feeder team to the Chipotle Development Team, Slipstream’s Continental squad, which in turn works as a feeder team for Garmin-Cervélo.
Christian Williams has been appointed as the team’s director, which ensures that young riders have access to full-time, year-round coaching. In addition to racing skills and tactics, young riders work on what it takes to be part of a team — from interval training to how to handle travel involved with racing at elite levels. To give young riders more chances to experience top levels in the sport, the junior development team will now spend 10 weeks per year in Europe.
“The Pro and Continental teams give us great pride and show that our mission of ethical sport and bringing young talent to the forefront of pro cycling is working. We’ll now be devoting even more effort and energy to our mission of developing the next generation of cycling champions,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO, Slipstream Sports.
“To me personally, and to many people who were involved in this project at the beginning, the development of young athletes is what gives us the greatest satisfaction. We want to give life to the dreams these kids have, and the skills they have, and help them on their path to the pro level.”
The Chipotle Junior Development team will follow a blended race schedule – the riders will compete in junior races as well as Category 1 and 2 races. The goal is to give riders the experience of the high-level races they will likely be doing in the future.
“We are looking forward to Nationals, not only for our own riders who will be very competitive there, but also to meet others who are competing,” said Williams. “Looking head to next year, will have spring and fall trips to Europe. We’ll return to L’Abitibi and Rimouski and hit some of the major races on the calendar as it fits school schedules. We also make the effort to get together in non-race settings, following the model Jonathan has created for Slipstream, because getting this many talented riders together means they need to get to know each other both on and off the bike.”
Slipstream Sports was created in 2003 as a development team for young riders and continues that mission today with a three-pronged approach of managing junior, continental, and pro teams. The mission of the junior development team echoes the mission of Slipstream Sports: a firm commitment to ethical sport and developing the next generation of cycling champions.
Peter Stetina, who started his career with Slipstream as junior, recently completed his first Grand Tour with Garmin-Cervélo. “It is great to be part of an organization that is focused on helping young riders get to this level,” said Stetina. “I’m where I am today because Jonathan gave the opportunity as a young kid to be a part of the sport I love, and I took it.”
