DHL Sprint School
Sprint Stars
The DHL Sprint School features some of the most established Great Britain cyclists. It's a rare opportunity to receive one-to-one advice from experienced Olympic and World medallists. As well as our regular sprint coaches below, the event has featured the likes of Victoria Pendleton, Rob Hayles, Jamie Staff (click to listen to interview with Jamie) Ed Clancy, David Daniell, Pete Mitchell, Jess Varnish, Becky James and Helen Scott.
Craig MacLean The Silver medalist in the Sprint and Team Sprint at last year's World Championships in France is one of the celebrity faces supporting the Sprint School and although he will be busy competing at the world Cup for the first sprint school he plans to be at all the others he can be. “I love the sport and am fully committed to getting more riders to choose sprinting so this initiative is just great” Listen to an interview with Craig Maclean about Sprint School: click here >> |
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Interview with Craig MacLean:
What’s your role with Sprint School this year?
I’m taking a more involved role this year with Sprint School and I’ll be there for every event. It’s quite nice in a way as it’s allowed me to use a bit more initiative and get to know the kids and see them progress. Sometimes a lot of the kids get to come back again and again, so it gives a chance to work consistently with the kids and see them improve over 5-6 sessions. It’s nice to build up a report, and it’s good for them to have a bit of consistency in the coaching as well.
What do you find rewarding about it?
The overall thing is that it’s really useful to the kids. It’s the little things, like on the last event[Event 2, Manchester] there were kids who have never ridden rollers before, and to spend a bit of time with them to see the progression of them getting quite confident is great.
If Sprint School was around when you were young, would it have helped?
Having access to a role model is a great opportunity for kids, even if there had been a role model around when I was starting out, regardless of age, it definitely makes things easier. It wasn’t high profile when I was younger, but there are so many cycling role models now for kids to look up to. It’s great for them to access through the likes of sprint school and to realise they’re just normal human beings that have just put a lot of work in.
What are coaching objectives for this season?
As long as they’re able to apply what they’ve learned when they come to do races like the youth omniums; that’s the most important thing for both them and me really. If they’re able to apply that in a race situation, they’ll do well. Seeing them all do well individually by listening when doing the drills, that would be my main goal. The overall coaching plan this year is down to Matt Winston’s direction, who is one of the talent coaches from British Cycling. The progression that these kids are following is effectively a British Cycling program; I’ll put my own little personal slant on it when I can.
What message to you think you’d like to get across to the riders?
Whether they go on to be sprinters, or even want to be sprinters in the first place; it’s irrelevant. The key thing we want to get on, if you want to win, you’re going to have to go fast, so not to have a blinkered view of sprinting of being only a track discipline. Everyone needs to sprint, and regardless of what you’re doing, you’re going to have to use some of the sprinting skills that you’ve learned, it applies everywhere. Some of the skills they learn will apply to every type of bike racing.
Why is having access to star athletes so important?
Having access to role models who are successful athletes, realising that these guys are normal people, it’s great for the kids to take that away and realise that you don’t have to be arrogant or big headed to be good. Sprint School coaches have all achieved something incredible, but are completely approachable.
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