"We leave too many young talents undiscovered," is the opinion of the national coach of the elite men, who therefore now wants to launch his own project. The idea: "Together with local clubs, we want to find real talent and develop it with strong partners." The target group is riders of junior age, U17 to U19, from all over Germany. Including young female riders.
To be accepted onto the "the ride direction" programme, it is not primarily the wattage values that are decisive. Sporting ambition is the keyword in Greipel's Academy. The aim is to provide the right athletes with a suitable environment and competitive equipment to make it easier for them to take the decisive step in their development, according to a press release issued by the German Cycling Federation. "We want to create the framework conditions to get the best out of the young talents," said Greipel.
Greipel has been talking about problems with young talent for some time
Regular online meetings, workshops and training rides are to be organised in addition to these framework conditions. Joint participation in races is also being considered, which will highlight the development of the individual athletes.
The 41-year-old from Rostock, who also became the sporting director of the German one-day race Rund um Köln after the end of his professional career in 2021, is already active elsewhere in the promotion of young talent, including as a mentor to the young sprinter from his home country, Max Briese. The 20-year-old rides for the continental team P&S Metalltechnik Benotti.
Greipel had already mentioned problems with young talent in German cycling in the past. He told the German Press Agency that one of the reasons for this was the centralisation of the Olympic training centres. He also cited all-day schools, which demand so much of children that they lose interest in a sporting hobby, as a cause. He now wants to counteract this with his own project.
