Flatiron Flyers introduces juniors-only program

A new program in the Boulder Valley of Colorado will support competitive junior cycling through mentorship and coaching. The Flatirons Flyers Project (FFP) announced Wednesday the inception of a Junior Cycling Program for the 2008 season. The FFP will provide fun and affordable means to develop juniors into competitive cyclists.

The non-profit Boulder-based squad will focus on competing in the 2008 Tom Danielson Junior Cup, the Colorado State Championships and the USA Cycling Junior National Road and Track Cycling Championships. Boy and girls between ages 8 and 18 are encouraged to participate.

"We are really excited about starting a program that will help juniors to grow into elite riders and have fun in a healthy environment. There seems to be a missing piece of the puzzle in the Boulder cycling community and surrounding areas with a lack of junior-only programs and we aim to fill that void," said Missy Thompson, co-founder and coach of FFP.

"After volunteering at the Junior National Track Championship, we found that there is a ton of support from parents in the Boulder Valley for a quality grassroots organization to expand the number of kids racing locally," said Cari Higgins, co-founder and 2007 national track champion.

For more information, visit www.flatironflyerscycling.org.