36. TALENT SELECTION AND THE RELATIVE AGE EFFECT

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

More and more road cycling world-tour teams are building continental (under 23) and junior (under 19) satellite teams. The aim is to identify and select the best-talented riders as soon as possible to get ahead of the other teams in signing their first pro contract. Within these satellite teams, there are usually a lot of great young riders with similar physiological and power output numbers. So, the decision-making about selecting the riders to pass from junior to under 23 and from under 23 to pro, is not always so easy. Team sports’ clubs already have academies (read youth satellite teams) from the ‘90 and so they have developed more experience in this area. Studies performed on these team sports (football, hockey, and handball among the others) showed that in both youth and professional teams there are more numbers of players born in the first quarter of the year (Q1: January-March) compared to the last one (Q4: October-December). This phenomenon has been called Relative Age Effect (RAE) and could be due to the biological maturity reached earlier by Q1 vs Q4 athletes that favours their selection in youth categories leading them to have more support (equipment, high-level coaches), motivation thanks to the earlier experienced success and so more chances to become a professional athlete.

What about road cycling?

Does relative age effect influence talent selection in road cycling?

A study published by Voet and Colleagues (Tudor Pro Cycling, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) tried to answer this question. (1)