However, specialists emphasize – funding alone is not enough. For talent nurtured in Lithuania to reach professional sports, a unified system is needed from the first training sessions to the opportunity to regularly compete at the international level.
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The path of a professional athlete begins long before the first international competitions or victories. Investment is made not only in buying a bike or paying for trips. The training process, the work of coaches, camps, equipment, medical care, logistics, and the opportunity to constantly compete in increasingly higher-level competitions require more and more financial resources each year.
Therefore, preparing a professional cyclist is not just the work of the family, coach, club, or federation. According to Darius Levickis, president of the Lithuanian Cycling Federation, to understand the true cost of athlete development, the entire system must be evaluated.
“The path of a professional cyclist begins long before the first victories in international competitions. It is a long-term process involving family, coaches, sports centers, clubs, municipalities, the federation, and the state. Each contributes to the athlete’s growth, so when discussing expenses, we must see the whole system, not just one part of it,” says D. Levickis.
Serious investments start in childhood
Young cyclists usually begin systematic training around the age of ten. From then on, a consistent, multi-year effort begins – training, camps, first competitions, coaches’ work, travel, and constantly updated equipment.
The cost of athlete development grows alongside. “Considering all these components, developing a promising young athlete can require about 25–30 thousand euros per year. In some disciplines, such as BMX, this amount can be around 12–15 thousand euros. Clubs, sports centers, municipalities, the federation, state programs, and, of course, the athletes’ own families contribute to this process,” comments the president of the Lithuanian Cycling Federation.
However, investments in a young athlete are only one part of the entire process. One of the most challenging moments comes when a promising youth needs to transition from youth sports to high performance and professional levels.
Talent is not enough
At this stage, the professional sports link becomes extremely important. The Lithuanian Cycling Federation, in cooperation with the professional Lithuanian “Energus” cycling team, aims to strengthen the country’s cycling system and create a clear path for promising athletes from youth sports to high performance and professional levels in international competitions.
According to Ignatas Konovalovas, head of the “Energus” team, former professional cyclist and three-time Olympic Games participant, even exceptional talent alone does not guarantee a professional career.
“We can raise a very talented young cyclist, but talent alone is not enough. To understand whether an athlete can compete internationally, they need the opportunity to compete there regularly. Here, the joint work of the federation, clubs, coaches, and professional teams is very important. Our task as professionals is to help bridge the gap between a promising youth and professional cycling,” says I. Konovalovas.
Regular participation in international competitions becomes one of the most expensive but also most important parts of an athlete’s development.
Behind one cyclist’s result – a whole team
The cost of maintaining a professional athlete, according to I. Konovalovas, cannot be calculated solely by how much is directly invested in the athlete.
“The team staff travels to competitions, transport, accommodation, meals, bikes and spare parts, mechanics, masseurs, coaches’ work are needed. Professional cycling is a team mechanism, even if in the results table we ultimately see the name of one athlete,” explains I. Konovalovas.
Another important aspect is continuity. One start in a high-level competition does not show the true potential of an athlete. To progress, a full season program and constant competition with the strongest opponents are needed.
“When we see an athlete at the European or World Championship, many people and many years of work stand behind them. But just going to one high-level competition is not enough. To progress, a full season program is needed. Therefore, a professional team becomes one of the last and most important links between a promising young athlete and the highest level of cycling,” notes the head of the “Energus” cycling team.
At the highest level – up to 100 thousand euros per year
When an athlete reaches a high performance level, financial needs increase even more.
According to the Lithuanian Cycling Federation’s calculations, an athlete who participates in European and World Championships, collects UCI ranking points, and aims for Olympic qualification may have an annual budget of 60–70 thousand euros.
Considering the broader athlete development and state support system, the total annual investment can approach 100 thousand euros.
“Investments increase even more in high performance sports. An athlete who participates in European and World Championships, collects UCI ranking points, and aims for Olympic qualification must compete in many international competitions during the season. Travel, bikes, spare equipment, technical service, coaches’ work, medical care, and training camps mean that the annual budget for such an athlete today can reach 60–70 thousand euros, and including the entire state support system, the total investment in a top-level athlete can approach 100 thousand euros per year,” calculates D. Levickis.
The challenge – not only to find talent but also to keep it
Currently, the Lithuanian Cycling Federation unites more than 200 licensed young athletes. Their number changes annually, but there is a noticeable trend that younger children are starting to practice sports, and the number of youth cycling development initiatives and clubs in Lithuania is increasing.
Therefore, one of the most important tasks is not only to interest children in cycling and identify the most talented but also to create a clear path for them in the subsequent career stages. “Therefore, today it is especially important that not only the public sector but also socially responsible business contributes to their path. Such a partnership allows talented athletes to achieve the highest mastery and promote Lithuania’s name in international arenas,” emphasizes D. Levickis.
The cooperation between the federation and the professional “Energus” cycling team is one part of such a system – the federation helps to form and coordinate the national sports structure, and the professional team can provide athletes with an environment, an international competition program, and experience needed to reach the next career level.
“Our ambition should not only be to raise a good young cyclist. We must create a real path for them from the first training sessions in Lithuania to professional sports. When the federation, clubs, coaches, professional teams, the state, and business work in one direction, the athlete has the opportunity to focus on what they do best – train, improve, and achieve results,” says I. Konovalovas.
The path of a professional cyclist can last a decade or longer, so its cost cannot be assessed based on one season’s budget. Investments start in childhood and grow along with the athlete’s mastery, competition level, and number of international starts.
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