SINGAPORE - The Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) unveiled its most ambitious plans to date on Friday (March 13), aiming to win an Asian Games title and having a Singaporean representative compete in the Tour de France by 2030.
The governing body launched ProCyclingSG, which will groom a group of cyclists from the national team and put them through a training programme enhanced with guidance from GreenEDGE Cycling.
The latter is the first and only professional cycling outfit in the Asia Pacific that competes on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Tour, which is the top tier road cycling circuit.
Both organisations have signed a five-year agreement, which will provide Singapore's cyclists, coaches and clubs with engagement opportunities that includes the sharing of best practices from Tour de France riders and coaches.
A Singaporean will potentially be shortlisted to join the Mitchelton-Scott men's team, one of the three teams operated by GreenEDGE Cycling, as a stagiaire - an amateur cyclist temporarily riding for a professional team - to train and race in Europe next year.
ProCyclingSG will be headed by general manager Adrian Ng, who was the SCF's head coach from 2014 to 2018.
Its other aims include retaining a core group of 11 riders by 2023. This group will comprise two full-time professionals, two professional guest-riders, four semi-professionals and three development riders.
The professional riders will train between 25 to 30 hours per week and participate in at least 12 races and four training camps per year. There are also plans to register a UCI men's continental team by 2023.
ProCyclingSG will also set up satellite centres which include easy access to a velodrome, BMX tracks and cross country trails to enhance athletes' training. There will also be intensive outreach programmes with schools and corporate sponsors, and a diversification of its recruitment sources to include schools, clubs and communities.
SCF president Hing Siong Chen said: "We want to nurture an eco-system where full-time riders are fully supported in the community and young riders see prospects in pursuing cycling as a career.
"This is our game plan to embark on an endeavour to consistently secure podium finishes at major games and be competitive with those in the region, and even internationally."
