CANADIAN cycling coach Scott Laliberte believes Trinidad and Tobago has a healthy pool of young sprint and endurance cyclists, who, once provided with the right structure, can generate a higher number of elite competitors.

Laliberte, through the International Cycling Union (UCI) and TT Cycling Federation (TTCF), is currently hosting a ten-day talent identification camp for junior cyclists at the National Cycling Centre, Couva. It began on Monday and concludes next Friday.

Lilaberte is impressed with what he’s seen so far from the youngsters. He was pleased to have seized the opportunity to come to Trinidad and work alongside some of the nation’s rising and potential stars.

“I think TT has athletes who can definitely be strong endurance cyclists, with a strong endurance programme. TT is known for its rich heritage in sprinting and you can see that in the passion of the athletes. Once the platform for growth is there, they will thrive.”

“I’m excited to work with different athletes, see their training and how they ride the track. I’m looking forward to doing more of this. The riders have been performing well.”

“TT has a long reputation of good athletes and the next generation is on the track right now working with me,” he said at Wednesday’s launch of the Caribbean Track Cycling Championships.

TTCF president Rowena Williams said this talent identification drive is part of their phased process in getting the velodrome certified as an official UCI satellite centre.

A satellite centre is a special training hub for athletes coming from developing countries. It provides the same path to elite success by hosting training camps to nurture young athletes and assist in cycling development within the region.

“We are guided by the UCI in terms of what they require and what they want to see. These camps are part of the development process as we go in to the phases of the satellite centre being set up.”

“We expect that will be coming on board very soon. Once we show that we have the ability to host these camps and have it running on a continuous basis, this is what we want to start. This is just the first part of it.”

"From next week, a coaches and mechanics course in conjunction with camp that is running. Come next year, we will have a series of other camps underway,” Williams said.

The talent identification camp, she said, is crucial for building the foundation of TT’s next-generation cyclists.