SEARCH FOR SPEED CONTINUES TO IDENTIFY NEW SPRINT TALENT IN LOS ANGELES

Search for Speed (“SFS”), USA Cycling’s track sprint talent identification program, is pleased to announce that four new athletes have been selected to advance to the US sprint pool’s talent integration phase. Nathan Bustos, Evan Enserro, Melissa Martucci, and Imaan Quedraogo all met or exceeded benchmark results at a recent six-day boot camp held at the VELO Sports Center (“VSC”) in Carson, California. The boot camp consisted of nine athletes who were selected through spring and summer open WattBike testing throughout Southern California, followed by open combines held at the VSC.

USA Cycling's National Sprint Coach, Justin Grace, says, “We are excited to welcome this talented quartet into the national sprint pool. All four demonstrated the necessary baseline results to warrant their consideration, and we are eager to see where each of them can take this opportunity.”

“We recently refined and streamlined our testing and open combines to make it easier than ever for athletes to be tested and seen by USA Cycling’s coaching and Sports Science staff,” says Search for Speed Program Manager, Rex Ainslie. “Our new open combine format now includes three tests: a vertical jump (x3), a max power pull (x2), and a WattBike test (x1). The three-test open combine curriculum, including check-in, warm-up, and recovery periods, takes less than 40 minutes. Advancing athletes move directly to the velodrome for an on-bike boot camp.”

“We are riding the wave of enthusiasm following the success in Paris, but we’re also keenly aware that the clock is ticking, with Los Angeles 2028 just four years away. Our mission is crystal clear.”

Search for Speed is currently finalizing its Fall open combine schedule, which is expected to include three to four additional combines before the end of this year. Check searchforspeed.com and follow @searchforspd on social media for the most up-to-date information on demo locations, open combines, and program news.

Photo Credit: Doug Martin

SEARCH FOR SPEED HOSTS FINAL COMBINE FOR 2024

USA Cycling’s Search for Speed, a track sprint talent identification program launched in early 2023, hosted its fourth of four scheduled open combines at the VELO Sports Center on June 1. With an eye on exposing the sport and tapping into Southern California’s dense population and deep athletic roots, the open combine format presents a way for anyone within the desired age range of 16-30(+) to sign up and showcase their power and explosiveness in front of the USA Cycling coaching and sports science staff without any fee or obligation. The VELO Sports Center in Carson, CA, was selected as the program’s epicenter and hub because it is the United States’ only indoor 250m velodrome, home to USA Cycling’s Sprint Program, and will host track cycling in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“Our fourth open combine was our best yet,” says SFS Program Coordinator, Rex Ainslie. “The talent level was quite high, and it was our best attended to date. It also included a short list of repeat testers—something we view as a genuine indicator of serious program interest. Overall, we feel very positive about launching Search for Speed and the opportunity it offers to everyone. And that mission continues and remains on-going.” 

With four open combines now completed, all test data, including relevant intangibles, will be considered by the USA Cycling coaching and sports science staff to determine who, if anyone, will move to the Talent Integration ("TIN") phase. It is important to note that this program does not guarantee acceptance, and there is no predetermined minimum or maximum number of qualifiers for the Talent Integration phase or beyond.

Final selection into the TIN phase is expected to be made soon. Once finalized, TIN athletes will be introduced to track cycling and all related activities at the VELO Sports Center. In the meantime, Search for Speed testing and pop-up tryouts will continue semi-regularly and on a case-by-case basis. All tryouts and pop-ups are listed on the Search for Speed website at searchforspeed.com and on the program’s social channels at @searchforspd.

SEARCH FOR SPEED IN FULL STRIDE HEADING INTO SPRING

With two 2024 open combines now successfully completed, USA Cycling’s LA-based track sprint talent identification program, Search for Speed, is now in full stride heading into Spring.

Just under 60 total athletes registered and participated in the first two open combines (Feb 3-4; Mar 2) at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, CA, each participating in a structured workout that included, in order:

• Vertical jump (x3)

• Agility “T” test (x3)

• 40-yard dash (x3)

• WattBike power test (x1)

In addition to the open combines, Search for Speed is also building awareness by setting up WattBike pop-ups and demos at a wide variety of Southern California area schools, gyms, and other public events and locations. These are designed to help drive traffic to the program’s open combines, all at the VELO Sports Center.

“Our new streamlined open combine format is working” says program director Alec Pasqualia. “Between our aggressive pop-up and demo schedule, dedicated social handles and numerous online voices, and the support of such notable organizations as LA28, AEG, YMCA LA, and others, Search for Speed now has tremendous area recognition and momentum. The word is out and it is showing in the form of a steady flow of new talent.”

NBC Sports, the official network of the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games, filmed a feature on USA Cycling’s Search for Speed for their show CHASING GOLD, which aired on both NBC and Peacock late last month. To see the 3+ minute feature go to HERE.

April is shaping up to be a busy month for Search for Speed with demos scheduled during two major international cycling events: the Pan American Track Cycling Championships at the VELO Sports Center (April 3-7), Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA (April 18-21).

Immediately following will be the next two Search for Speed open combines, both at the VELO Sports Center:

• Sat, April 27

• Sat, June 1

Shortly after the last open combine is completed, test data will be reviewed by USA Cycling’s coaching and sports science staff to determine who will be invited to the program’s talent integration phase.

For more on USA Cycling’s Search for Speed including a calendar of upcoming demos and open combine registration link visit searchforspeed.com or linktr.ee/searchforspeed.

UNVEILING OLYMPIC TALENT: SECOND SEARCH FOR SPEED TALENT INTEGRATION CAMP SIGNALS ONGOING HUNT

USA Cycling's 2023 Search for Speed program continued last month with the second of three Talent Integration (TIN) camps in Los Angeles. The second camp, inclusive of all previously identified returning athletes from the first camp, occurred at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, CA, with gym sessions held at SoCal Weightlifting and IKON Strength & Performance.

While the first TIN camp focused heavily on introducing athletes to the track, the second camp spanned eight consecutive days, dedicated to continuous work on the bike refining their newly developed skills. The camp was overseen by USA Cycling Developmental Track Coach BJ Olson, with trackside support from longtime track great Rory O’Reilly and former BMX pro turned elite track athlete, Emily Hayes.

Gym sessions and sports science were managed by strength and conditioning coach Antonio Squillante, Ph.D., who also collaborates with the USA Cycling Track Sprint National Team. Gym time was utilized to track power progression since the first camp and to reinforce optimal practices for exercises and workouts crucial for excelling in a track sprint setting. Effective gym work is pivotal for sprint success and remains a regular tool at the elite level.

The camp began with a structured WattBike workout which replicated each athlete's performance in their Search for Speed Finals and the first TI camp. This UCI-recognized effort gives the coaches an ongoing power and recovery progress map for each athlete. With the USA Cycling National Sprint Team abroad at the Pan American Games in Chile, track time availability was generous and the program took full advantage of it. Each day at the VELO Sports Center involved analyzing, practicing, and repeating various elements constituting track sprinting. This included Flying 200M efforts focusing on speed building, utilizing the track’s features to a rider’s advantage, mastering unseen lines, start gate, timing, team sprint exchanges, and more. Immediate trackside feedback and film reviews allowed athletes to refine personal techniques and progress. Repetition to build familiarity was crucial. The camp concluded by introducing match sprinting and a final day dedicated to a mock competition featuring timed events and these times established new baselines for individuals heading into their final six-week block leading up to the last Search for Speed TI camp of 2023 which will take place December 8th-16th.

“This second Search for Speed Talent integration Camp was an important milestone on the 2023 Search for Speed program,” said Alec Pasqualina, USA Cycling’s Athlete Development Pathway Director. “This marked the point where athletes were expected to begin demonstrating the skills necessary to develop into legitimate track riders–albeit new ones. It is the time when our performance department and coaches are taking notice.”

For more information on Search for Speed, visit searchforspeed.com or check us out on social media: @searchforspd

SEARCH FOR SPEED ANNOUNCES 2024 PLANS AND COMBINE DATES

Search for Speed Combine at the VELO Sports Center.

USA Cycling is pleased to announce that Search for Speed, the Los Angeles based track sprint talent identification program, will continue and advance in 2024 with a newly expanded tryout strategy and schedule.

Founded in early 2023 and funded through the generous support of the Rapha Foundation, Search for Speed gained immediate national attention. The program proved to be a massive success focusing on grassroots efforts by introducing the sport to an expanded and more diverse audience throughout southern California. By the end of 2023, Search for Speed had tested over 3,000 new prospects at 45 different locations. Athletes who hit Search for Speed’s target peak power on the WattBike, the official smart bike of USA Cycling, were invited to a combine at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, Calif. In July, the program hosted a combine final where 12 athletes were later invited to a three-part Talent Integration Camp.

For 2024, the Search for Speed mission remains the same: break down entry barriers into the sport of competitive sprint cycling, while putting National Championship, World Championship, and Olympic medals within reach.

In 2023, athletes needed to try out in order to be invited to a Search for Speed combine. New for 2024, all Search for Speed combines will be open to the public. This will streamline the identification and testing process, and provide athletes from any sport and background the opportunity to demonstrate their individual speed, power, and athletic potential in a one-stop setting. The desired age range is 18-28, but individuals of all ages are encouraged to participate. Track cycling favors power and explosiveness, and open combines will be set-up to test an athlete’s ability, with different categories and target marks dependent on gender.

“We believe the new 2024 Search for Speed open combine format in a single location will make it significantly easier for anyone to showcase their athletic skill, regardless of sports background,” says Alec Pasqualina, USA Cycling’s Athlete Development Pathway Director. “Athletes can pre-register and simply walk in.”

All 2024 Search for Speed open combines will take place at the VELO Sports Center – home to the USA Cycling Track Sprint program and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Combines will be organized as Saturday events, with one per month from February through July.

The confirmed Search for Speed Open Combine dates include:

February 3-4, 2024

March 2, 2024*

April 27, 2024*

June 1, 2024*

Pre-Register here

Testing includes: a speed and abgility test; a standing vertical jump; a 40-yard dash; and a 6-second WattBike power test; and the UCI’s structured Power Profile Protocol Test. This internationally recognized test is conducted entirely on a WattBike and is a benchmark standard utilized by cycling’s international federation.

Athletes that hit the desired Power Protocol Test numbers at any combine will then graduate to the Talent Integration phase. Athletes invited to our Talent Integration team will undergo six months of training and development with USA Cycling’s Athlete Development staff. This phase kicks off in the late summer/fall of 2024.

“Search for Speed’s new open combine talent ID format really streamlines development for sports performance,” says USA Cycling’s Sprint Track Director, Erin Hartwell. “The opportunity for any athlete from any background to be seen and discovered has never been easier. Los Angeles 2028 is only four and half years away and we are committed to fielding the best possible team and competing for medals at our home Olympics. Search for Speed is a key component in that effort.”

USA Cycling’s Search for Speed, in collaboration with the Rapha Foundation and program partners like LOOK Cycle, is committed to finding and developing the sport of track sprint cycling with an end goal of developing and placing a U.S. Olympian in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

FAST-TRACKING TALENT: RECAP OF SEARCH FOR SPEED'S OPENING 8-DAY TALENT INTEGRATION CAMP

Search for Speed’s (“SFS”) opening 8-day Talent Integration (“TI”) Camp (Sep 2-9, 2023) concluded last week in Southern California. The opening SFS TI camp, the first of three this year, was led by US National Sprint Team Coach, Erin Hartwell, along with his team of resident USA Cycling track coaches and mechanics: BJ Olson and Rex Ainsle, and sports scientist Antonio Squillante. Among the attending athletes were the 12 individuals previously identified from a pool of over 2000 who participated in USA Cycling’s Search for Speed program, which ran from early February through late June. The purpose of the camp was to transition from talent identification to talent integration in the SFS process.

Over eight days, athletes were introduced to all aspects of track cycling, with a specific focus on track sprint cycling. This included an overview of the sport itself, how track sprint fits into the larger sport of cycling and track equation and culture, the methods used in building track sprint athleticism and the potential for success, and much more. The majority of the camp took place at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, CA with gym sessions taking place at SoCal Weightlifting in Costa Mesa, CA.

Track work began on the very first day, with athletes all fitted in USA-branded Coure clothing, POC helmets, and riding LOOK track bikes. Because of the relatively wide range of cycling experience, the curriculum did not assume anything and took the group through the basics at each step. All athletes moved quickly from rollers to the velodrome with everybody effectively track-certified by the end of day one. Throughout the first day and over the course of the camp, the emphasis was continually on process and understanding.

Over the next seven days the camp rapidly ramped up, toggling between the VELO Sports Center and SoCal Weightlifting – both homes to the USA Sprint Team – as well as sessions spent on nutrition, kinesiology, anti-doping, sports science, basic mechanics, and more. Track time remained at the heart of the camp with on-bike sessions devoted to rolling and standing starts, start gate, learning flying wind-ups, drop-ins, push-offs, rider queues protocols, and other track and sprint technique basics. The final day served as a culmination of all the newly learned behaviors and techniques, presenting an actual race day schedule designed to simulate the challenges athletes might encounter in any track race at any level.

The camp concluded with comprehensive group and individual assessments, after which each athlete received an individual coaching outline designed to cover the time leading up to their second TI camp, October 21-28, 2023.

In conjunction with this first wave of talent integration camps, Search for Speed’s talent identification process will continue throughout the fall and winter. Open SFS tryouts and pop-ups in the SoCal basin and in select US locations continue to be added to our online calendar. For an updated list go to: searchforspeed.com

For more information about Search for Speed and/or USA Cycling’s athlete development pathway program, contact Alec Pasqualina at apasqualina@usacycling.org.

USA CYCLING LAUNCHES NEW TRACK TALENT ID PROGRAM FOCUSING ON LOS ANGELES COMMUNITIES

On Friday, USA Cycling officially launched Search for Speed in downtown Santa Monica. Both industry guests and the general public were offered an inside look into how the program will work and to even put their skills to the test.

Search for Speed is a new talent identification program designed to introduce track cycling to diverse and underrepresented communities in Los Angeles, providing youth and young adults with a dedicated pathway to the U.S. National Team. Funded by a generous grant from the Rapha Foundation and support from LOOK Cycle and Wattbike, Search for Speed utilizes a multi-stage screening process to identify key talent markers and introduce participants to track cycling.

“Our goal with Search for Speed is to go into the local LA communities and introduce them to the wonders of track cycling, in particular sprint track cycling,” said USA Cycling CEO Brendan Quirk. “We’re looking for kids who are exceptional athletes in more traditional sports, like football, basketball, soccer, and get them exposed to bike racing. We have an incredible facility at the VELO Sports Center Velodrome and we want to see that next generation of kids racing on the track and potentially at the Olympic Games.”

Friday’s kickoff event at the Rapha Clubhouse in Santa Monica introduced the program to the Los Angeles cycling community and offered a look at the first stage in the screening process.

In this initial tryout phase, participants have two minutes to warm up on the Wattbike before giving it their all in a six-second peak power test. Upon completing the test, they’re presented with a report card comparing their results to members of the USA Cycling National Team, access to a digital leaderboard, and resources to continue cycling in the Los Angeles area.

Over a dozen tryouts with the six-second peak power test will take place over the course of the next few months, giving youth and young adults the opportunity to test their athletic abilities and see if they have what it takes to become a world-class track sprinter.

“The Search for Speed project is at the heart of our partnership with USA Cycling, and finding new athletes and improving their performance is in Wattbike's DNA,“ said Richard Baker, CEO of Wattbike. “It's a privilege to be part of this search and to have Wattbikes being used to uncover new champions. We can't wait to see what talent is out there."

Top performers from the tryouts will be invited back to additional rounds of testing where they will have the opportunity to meet performance benchmarks and qualify for talent integration camps at the VELO Sports Center. At this stage, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of track sprinting and learn to ride on a new series of bikes provided by LOOK Cycle.

“As official partners of USA Cycling, it is a privilege to be able to share our values of courage, passion, and excellence with the young generation of athletes USA Cycling is going to bring onboard with this project,” said Federico Musi, CEO of LOOK Cycle. “We are excited to be part of this effort to bring cycling to diverse and underrepresented communities, giving unprecedented opportunities for young talents to become the champion of tomorrow, and maybe an Olympic medalist.”

While the tryout process is just getting started, the program’s goals extend to 2028 and beyond. USA Cycling hopes to have 700+ participants in local tryouts during the 2023 season, a new field of talent ready for training in 2024, and program graduates on the National team in the seasons leading up to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Funding for the Search for Speed Program came from a 2022 grant from the Rapha Foundation. The Rapha Foundation was founded in 2019 with the mission of building a better future for cycling, funding more than 20 organizations around the world committed to inspiring, empowering, and supporting the next generation of riders and racers from demographics that have been historically under-represented in the sport.

With the launch of Search for Speed, USA Cycling is bringing an end-to-end talent identification and development pipeline to underrepresented communities in Los Angeles with hopes of creating a lasting legacy of participation success that is an accurate reflection of the country’s population.