Registration deadline near for USA Cycling's NW Athlete Development Camp

Youth racers aspiring to higher levels have a chance to learn from some of the Northwest's most experienced and successful coaches at the USA Cycling Northwest Athlete Development Camp June 14-19 on the campus of Pacific University in Forest Grove.

"It's gonna be a sweet set up," said camp manager Jim Anderson. "We're going to be housed in the newest dorm on campus, and we've got some great rides planned around the area."

USA Cycling will be sending the lead coach from Colorado to work with a contingent of top Northwest coaches. Anderson said campers can expect a coach-to-racer ratio of about one to five.

The camp will feature two days of skills training that will include bumping, maneuvering and cornering, along with other handling skills specific to racing. Campers will have the opportunity to learn and practice fundamentals including team time trialing, working a paceline as if in a small breakaway, criterium starts and endurance rides.

Participants will get a chance to ride with top local amateurs and members of Land Rover-ORBEA, Portland's UCI Contintental Men's Cycling Team. Campers will also be hooked up for testing, once for five minutes and then another 20-minute power test and will benefit from one-on-one meetings with coaches.

"There won't be a dull minute," Anderson said.

Evenings in the dorm will feature presentations on bike maintenance, pre-race preparations, nutrition for races and for training, and race tactics, including videos.

The top-two athletes at the camp will get recommended for the next level of development camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, where they will have the chance to meet more coaches, undergo more testing and more training.

"It's a little more intense and advanced," Anderson said of the Olympic Training Center camps. He said Oregon juniors Austin Arguello, Ian Boswell and Jacob Rathe, all currently racing the with the USA Cycling Junior National Team in Europe, benefited from attending development camps.

Cost for the camp is $750 for the week. Room, board and all instructional fees are included.

The camp is open to female and male cyclists. Juniors of racing age 14­-18, and Seniors aged 19­-22 are eligible. Some racing experience is preferred (Collegiate A/B, Cat 3/4), but high school or collegiate varsity sport experience is acceptable.

Automatic qualifiers can sign up online at www.usacycling.org by clicking on the "My USA Cycling" link. You can request eligibility at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/dmnzzv

Registration ends this week. Interested participants can contact Anderson by phone at 503-975-8229 or by email at info@nwcyclingcamp.com

(Photos courtesy of USA Cycling)