Boulder Junior Cycling / Tokyo Joe's Development team wins award, funding
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Pre-riding National Championships Course July 2009, Sol Vista, Colorado (Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Ian Mcpherson and Evan Carlin (Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Ellie Atkins(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Ben Hogan (Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
McCauley Smith(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Brae Patten(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Ellen Patten(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Jill Behlen(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
Jill Behlen at the 2009 World Championships.(Image credit: Nick Stevens / Boulder Junior Cycling Team)
The Boulder Junior Cycling (BJC) Team, formerly known as Boulder DEVO, was recently recognized by USA Cycling with the Center of Excellence Award. The junior team earned the honor for the second consecutive year and is one of five programs to receive funding for its junior and U23 cycling athletes.
With the award, BJC will receive funding for its achievements in the amount of US$1,000 which will help provide coaching and team support for juniors. The development team backs both under 15 and under 19 juniors. It's under 15 program is designed for youth ages 12 to 15 years old and/or in sixth through ninth grades. The under 19 program, which is also known as the Tokyo Joe's Junior Development Team, is for youth ages 14 to 18 years old and/or in eighth through 12th grades and who are currently racing Cat. 1 or 2.
In 2009, five athletes from the BJC / Tokyo Joe's Development squad participated in USA Cycling Training Camps and worlds qualifying races including Jill Behlen, Brae Patten, Ellen Patten, Wesley Geer and Lydia Tanner.
The 2009 UCI mountain bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia included two BJC athletes. The top US junior rider was Jill Behlen placing 16th, and the top-ranked Under 23 US rider was Chloe Forsman in 15th place. Forsman is a previous member of the BJC Development Program and is expected to ride for Tokyo Joe's again in 2010 after several years racing for the Luna team.
USA Cycling certified coaches guide the skills and performance development of the team's riders for national and international competition. Boulder Junior Cycling (BJC) is a local grassroots and volunteer-based program providing Cycling Racing Development for Juniors. It is run under the Boulder Valley Cycling Alliance, which was established in 2005 to promote junior cycling and create life-long cyclists in Boulder Valley.
The team is hosting a 2010 season kick-off event on Thursday, February 4 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. local time at the Trek Store, 2626 Baseline Road. For more information, visit www.boulderjuniorcycling.org.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
