Junior Crit Development Program

Junior Criterium Racing Development Program

When: Wednesdays, 7 October 2026 – mid-March 2027
Time: 4:30–5:30pm
Where: Stromlo Forest Park Criterium Circuit
Cost: $8/session, or $64 for a half-season pass (weeks 1–10 or weeks 11–20). The first session on 7 October is free.
Ages: 6 years and older, provided the rider is proficient on a bike
Coaches: Alban Comparat and Lauren Bartsch
Registration: https://entryboss.cc/calendar/canberra

The Junior Criterium Racing Development Program is open to all junior riders aged 6 and over who are confident in riding a bike. Sessions are run by accredited coaches Alban Comparat and Lauren Bartsch. All riders must hold a current AusCycling ride or race licence.

Training

Every session will focus on providing riders with fun, engaging skills development.
Sessions aim to improve confidence through skill progression, race drills and team-based racing.

Racing

This year we are going to trial no formal racing for juniors who would previously have been categorised as HC or Junior Whites, for the following reasons:

These races were very attritional with very few group races – more often each rider was doing their own time trial.
This format did not provide much opportunity for skill development.
A number of children participated in one or two races and did not return – presumably as it was not very fun.

This season, we are going to focus on upgrading the more capable juniors to open grades (E, D, C, B), along with having mentors ride with them during these races.

For the juniors not yet capable of riding open grades – including U15 and U17 riders who would like more time to build confidence before racing – there will be the opportunity to participate in mini-races during the training sessions until they are ready to move up. These races will not be formally timed and there will be no leader board for these riders. Riders will be rewarded for demonstrating effort, positive attitude and executing skills.

Juniors racing open grades

To ensure our juniors riding open grades get the most benefit from their racing, we will add the following elements:

Accurate grading process (see below)
Race briefing before each race, debrief after each race
Senior mentors in each race
Drinks & snacks for juniors after training/racing

Schedule

Week 0 – Wednesday 7 October (free come-and-try session)

4:30–5:30pm – Junior training session with a focus on new riders. No racing. This session is free.

Weeks 1 and 2

4:30–5:15pm – Junior training session.
5:15–5:30pm – Junior crit grading session.

All junior riders (new starters to U15*) are to participate in a junior handicapped crit to assess appropriate grades. Juniors who participate in the grading sessions will not be able to race open grades until both grading sessions are completed. This is for their own safety and to ensure fair and consistent racing.

These grading races will assist coaches to identify areas for skill development and plan future sessions.

*Note: riders who have raced C grade or above and have been recommended to stay at or above C grade will not be required to participate in these grading races.

Week 3 – Junior upgrading (where appropriate)

Riders will be upgraded based on their performance over the grading weeks, using the following as a guide:

Average under 31 km/h: Junior Training Squad
31–34 km/h: E grade
34–36 km/h: D grade (U13 won’t be upgraded above D grade)
36–41 km/h: C grade
Average over 41 km/h: B grade

Riders will be reviewed again before the Christmas break to identify any regrading opportunities. Any new riders joining will need to complete at least one junior training session before being allocated a grade.

Week 3 onwards – Junior Training Squad continues

All juniors are encouraged to participate in the training sessions prior to racing. These will be a mix of skills and mini-races. These races will not be formally timed. The mini-races will include:

Graded handicap race
Prologue
Scratch crit race

Equipment

All riders must hold a current AusCycling ride or race licence. There are no equipment requirements for junior training sessions other than bikes must be in a roadworthy, safe condition and have drop bars (not flat bars). Exceptions to the drop bar requirement will be made for Participation and riders under 7 years of age.

Riders must also have properly fitting helmets and appropriate enclosed footwear. Gloves are a good idea too, as the occasional spill is inevitable. We encourage parents of smaller riders to ensure their children can easily reach the brakes on their bike. If they cannot reach the brakes while in the drops or on the hoods, it is highly recommended to get a set of top brake levers fitted, just for their own confidence and safety.

Juniors racing in open grades need to ensure that their bikes are compliant with the AusCycling Technical Regulations – particularly gearing/rollout. See our Junior page for more details.

For further information please contact [email protected].