Sixteen cycling coaches, from 14 countries across five continents, recently completed the Level 3 coach diploma from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) at the World Cycling Center (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland. This advanced training, lasting three weeks, combined theoretical classes with practical sessions, covering a wide range of essential topics for coaching high-performance athletes. The course was aimed at experienced coaches already working at the national level and represents the highest level of the UCI’s coach development program.
The sessions were led by specialized staff from the WCC and recognized academic experts, such as Bent Rønnestad (Norway), Richard Cheetham (United Kingdom), and Grégoire Millet (Switzerland). Throughout the course, key areas were addressed, including exercise physiology, performance testing, nutrition, mental health, sports integrity, and individualized training strategies. Many participants already held previous UCI certifications and had experience as athletes, which further enriched the knowledge exchange among attendees.
Global experience and transition from competition
Among the participants, Jutatip Maneephan from Thailand stood out, having joined the course after winning all three stages of the Women’s Tour of Thailand. Asian champion in road racing this year, Maneephan is already thinking about her future as a coach and how she can contribute to the development of cycling in her country. “I want to help young Thai athletes and try to close the gap with other cyclists from Asia and Europe,” she stated. Her connection to the WCC began at a young age when she participated as an apprentice on the track before transitioning to road racing.
Another former student of the World Cycling Center who participated in the course was Jaïr Tjon En Fa from Suriname, who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the sprint and keirin events. In addition to Maneephan and Tjon En Fa, the group included coaches from Argentina, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, France, Eswatini, Chinese Taipei, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. This diversity reflected the truly global nature of the program, which now also offers an Advanced Studies Certificate in collaboration with the University of Lausanne.
