Singapore Cycling Federation launches women's academy to develop new talent
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Tara Alayna Weilin (left) and Faye Foo are two of seven cyclists in the first batch of riders in the academy.
ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
SINGAPORE - In another milestone for local cycling, the Singapore Cycling Federation launched its Women's Cycling Academy on Wednesday (March 23) to nurture and develop female cycling talent here.
The SCF aims to use the academy to develop the skills and tactics of female cyclists while preparing them for local and regional races.
The academy will also hopefully provide a pathway for more female cyclists to become professional cyclists, following in the footsteps of national cyclists Chelsie Tan who is racing for Team BikeExchange-Jayco on the UCI's Women's World Tour this year.
SCF president Hing Siong Chen noted that there has been an increase in the number of female cyclists here and the national body "recognises that there is an enormous potential for the development female cyclists through a structured long-term programme".
He added: "For a start, SCF's high Performance director Shayne Bannan would personally be conducting a series of skills session for women cyclists."
Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC Poh Li San has also been appointed as patron of the women's academy and hopes to encourage more women to take up the sport while promoting its development here.
She said: "I have always been an advocate of the immense benefits that can be derived from sports and an active lifestyle. I am happy to be able to contribute as much as possible towards the development of cycling both as a leisure and competitive activity.
"I would also like to encourage women across all age groups to try out the SCF programmes and pick up useful skills, tactics, techniques to not only ride competitively but also safely."
The academy is one of many developments in the sport recently. Last year, national cyclist Goh Choon Huat became the first Singaporean to race for a professional team in Europe when he joined the BikeExchange men's team as a stagiaire from July to October.
A stagiaire is an amateur cyclist riding temporarily for a professional team.
Tan then followed suit last November. In December, Darren Lim and Arfan Faisal each earned a scholarship to train at the Australian Cycling Academy on the Sunshine Coast for a year.
In October, mountain biker Riyadh Hakim became the first Singaporean to finish on the podium at a UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup.
That same month, track cyclists Luo Yiwei (women's individual pursuit), Calvin Sim (men's omnium) and Elyas Yusoff (men's 1km time trial and sprint) were also the first in their respective events from the Republic to compete at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in France.
