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Australian Sports Commission
Cycling, in both its track and road forms, is one of the most physiologically demanding of sports. Cyclists need endurance, technique, speed, explosive power and exceptional aerobic fitness. In recent years, cycling has benefited from both the scientific research carried out on cyclists' conditioning, and on the scientific work that has gone into producing faster, lighter and better bicycles. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is at the global forefront of much of this research.
About AIS Cycling
AIS Cycling operates both track and road cycling programs for male and female athletes.
With the AIS Road Cycling programs spending the majority of the year in Europe, the AIS Italian Cycling base in Tuscany was established in 1997. In 2000, the AIS Italian Cycling base was moved from Tuscany to Reggio, Emilia, where the Men's Road Cycling program was joined by the Women's Road Cycling program. In 2006 both programs joined the new AIS European Training Centre in the province of Varese in Italy.
In 2001, the administration of the AIS Road Cycling programs relocated from Canberra to Adelaide to join the AIS Track Cycling program. AIS Cycling's administration is now based at the Adelaide Super-Drome following its move from the "Del Monte" facility on Henley Beach in 2004.
AIS Road Cycling
Born from the AIS Track program base in Adelaide, the AIS Men's Road Cycling program began in 1990 (along with the now expired AIS Mountain Bike program) in Canberra with Heiko Salzwedel appointed as the Head Coach. The AIS Women's Road Cycling program commenced in 1992 and joined the men's program in Canberra.
Following success with various trade teams, 1997 saw the Men's Road Cycling program commence its focus towards the development of under-23 riders, due to the introduction of an under-23 men's category at the Road World Championships and a focus on Australians securing professional trade team contracts.
In 2006, the Men’s Road Cycling Program was redirected again into a professional team racing in the Continental events of Europe, Japan, North America and Australia. The team is called “South Australia.com-AIS” and features riders from road, track endurance and mountain bike backgrounds.
The Men's and Women's Road Cycling programs are camps-based programs. When in Australia, the athletes live in their home states and come together for camps at selected times. Both groups live at the AIS Cycling base in Italy from March to October each year.
AIS Track Cycling
The AIS Track Cycling program began in 1987 in Adelaide with only two male scholarship holders under the direction of Charlie Walsh. In 1989, the first female scholarship holder was recruited as the AIS Track Cycling program expanded to cater for both track sprint and track endurance riders.
The sprinters in the AIS Track Cycling program live in Adelaide, while the endurance riders live, train and race in their home states or overseas and attend camps prior to key events.
CA/AIS High Performance Programs
The AIS Adelaide Cycling base is also the home of the Cycling Australia (CA) High Performance Programs, which includes the National programs for the Track, Road, Mountain Bike, BMX, Para-cycling and Junior disciplines.
Robert Crowther