“Nowadays, there are no miracles anymore, no dramatic changes: a young rider who has talent will become a good professional racer easier than ever.”
Christophe Brandt, can you in a first phase introduce your team Color Code – Biowanze ?
Wallonia is a small territory in which the Sports Minister has promoted the creation of two teams, Wallonia-Brussels and Color Code-Biowanze, which consists exclusively of U23 riders. It works in the continuation of what the federation does with the youth, up to the entry into the new talents category. Wallonia-Brussels, where all riders are professional, rather represents the intermediate step towards leading teams as Lotto-Belisol, where one of our riders, Boris Valley, signed in for 2014. It’s a progression throughout a 100% French speaking project. Today, a good Walloon rider knows that the path is clear to progress.
Why have you joined MPCC ?
Joining MPCC was obvious to us. Cycling has changed today. There is more discipline, supervision is more serious. Team budgets are more limited than before, and therefore therefore it is essential to make a difference by investing in training and education. Boris Valley’s transfer to Lotto-Belisol shows other young riders that the route is traced thanks to this range of training aid. Nowadays, there are no miracles anymore, no dramatic changes: a young rider who has talent will become a good professional racer easier than ever. We can see it in many countries, such as France, where a new generation gets great results: it is a country promised to have the best riders in the world in a few years and it is through training.
What do you teach young riders ?
All the driftings of the past are linked to a lack of supervision. At amateur level, runners would seek advice from the wrong people. We do take young riders when their junior years are complete. That is to say, when cycling is still a game for them and they must make the transition, take care of themselves and train accordingly. We provide them a well-marked road with a well-organized management : the whole system is working with a coach, and a medical service beside, to which they must refer any problem. The referring doctor is not here to give medical advices, he is not involved in the physical preparation. Everyone keeps his own place and role. As a result: the riders are well educated and have a response to each of their questions.
“It is the lack of structure that in the past, has led some young people to drift into doping.”
With the pyramid system, they also have their questions answered on the good progress of their career, have less doubts and do not slip.
It is the lack of structure that in the past, has led some young people to drift into doping. Today, they are taught to train and live their passion. The mentality of the riders has changed as the rules are clear. By us, five blood samples a year are done with each rider. No one is tempted to cheat because it would be seen very quickly. It is no longer possible to get lost on the way and the kids know that if they are serious and they work well, they’ll climb the stages of the rocket. The work previously done only with professional riders has moved to the youth. A new talent-team recruits from the junior ranks, and does not wait for a few years before it identified talents.
Do you prefer that a rider formed in your team reaches the high level within a team also member of MPCC ?
I would like above all that all teams adhere to MPCC, and also the organizers, the sponsors … MPCC rules are logical and normal. Applications for membership are not impossible to meet. What MPCC offer is to the advantage of teams and it is important to see more and more structures from Continental division join the movement. This means they have a medical consultant, a coach, a full executive staff. It also reinforces the link with the sponsor: it is important to know what it invests. The Belgian Federation, a member of MPCC does now issues continental licenses only to structures which are also members of MPCC. This is a sign of a sportive seriousness, but also medical, banking and organizational seriousness. This is essential because the reconstruction must begin through the base of the pyramid.