Cycling Canada Cyclisme and the psychological side of competition

During the closing months of 2013, members of Cycling Canada Cyclisme met to plan not only for the year ahead, but the next three years and beyond. In October, the country’s governing body released its plans for developing the sport of cycling, with the emphasis on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. One of the many changes the CCC is implementing for Canada’s top riders is a focus on the psychological side of competition.

With more than a year to reflect on the 2012 London Games, Jacques Landry, high-performance director and head coach, and others at the CCC realized that athletes could have been better prepared for the pressures of Olympic competition. “We found that as far as the physiological preparedness for the different events at the Olympics, our athletes were very well prepared through good exercise physiology, through our coaching and through proper support,” Landry said. “Where we were lacking was in ensuring that our athletes were mentally ready for the stresses that come with the Olympics, whether it be stress from the media, stress from families and friends, the expectations that those athletes might have that build up over time. When you are coming into the Olympics with a podium at the previous [track] world championships, well, everybody expects you to perform.”

To help athletes with mental preparedness, the CCC hired on Roger Friesen, a trainer and clinical counsellor who specializes in sport psychology. He’ll be working with the BMX, road and track national teams.

For more on CCC’s plans for developing the country’s cycling stars, listen to an interview with Jacques Landry. He speaks about the integration of the road and track cycling programs (maybe making a homegrown Bradley Wiggins), and the importance of a trade team in Canada.