Development Cycling

Cycling is far from your usual international sport. Rarely do we see sports that start off for many of us as a form of transportation to school, work, or around town. For some, cycling is something deeper. It’s a source of passion, pride, and personal fulfillment. When baseball fans go to a ball game at their favorite field, they often spend several hundred dollars on tickets alone, sometimes thousands just to break out of the nosebleeds. 

Cycling is different; there are no tickets, no designated seating, no hours of continuous entertainment. Cycling is one of the few sports where you will see passionate fans scale the side of a mountain to catch a glimpse of the peloton as it flashes by. In some cases, fans camp out by the side of the trail to watch their favorite mountain bike athletes zoom past for a split second at a time, catching no more than a minute per lap of racers speeding by. 

This dedication is what makes cycling so interesting. Even as a casual fan, it is possible to appreciate the level of effort and dedication some fans invest in the sport. Oftentimes, however, the most dedicated of fans will see new names on their favorite team’s roster and question where they came from. Where did these athletes develop the skills to get to the top of the competition? Why have their names never reached the screen before? This is where cycling contrasts with many other sports; the development stage is an essential part of a cyclist's career, yet it receives almost no coverage in the cycling world. 

Unlike college football, which oftentimes has viewership numbers that eclipse that of the NFL, Under-23 cycling rarely gets the coverage the category deserves. Covering everything from up-and-coming 15-year-old talents to next year’s “Neo-Pros” (Newly-minted professional cyclists), the development stage in cycling is the window into the future of the sport. This is where the Bear National Team resides, shaping promising talent from across the United States into the next generation of professional cyclists. 

Founded in 2011 by Stu Bone in Kentfield California, Bear National has operated as a leading example for young athlete development. Originally founded to provide an opportunity for young Under-18 talent, the team expanded in 2017 to include Under-23 athletes in an “Elite” team. In 2013, Bone was joined by Chris Burnham and current director Julia Violich. Since then, the team has expanded its roster from 10 riders in 2011 to more than 50 student-athletes pursuing a career in professional cycling. 

Bear National Team’s successes speak for themselves, with more than 40 athletes from the team being named to the USA Cycling national team to represent the United States in both national and international events. The team also has a plethora of awards to its name, with Bear athletes winning National Road and Mountain titles on a regular basis. 

The team attributes much of its success to its value and goal-driven approach to training and racing, emphasizing the importance of relationships between team members, sponsors, and staff to ensure success. Most importantly, however, the team underlines the importance of enjoying the sport and having fun no matter the circumstance.