Matthew gets scholarship to train in Spain

Matthew gets scholarship to train in Spain

25 November 2015

AN Annahilt teenager heads off in the New Year to take a major step in his dream to become a professional cyclist.

Seventeen year-old Matthew Armstrong has been chosen to take part in a cycling scholarship in Spain.

Matthew is one of eight talented riders drawn from all over Europe who have been selected for an elite week-long training camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains in early January.

Just to be selected is a fantastic achievement for Matthew, who is a  highly enthusiastic member of Dromara Cycling Club.

Some of the cyclists who took part in the same camp last year have gone on to sign contracts with leading professional teams, including BMC and Lotto Soudal. 

The scholarship is run by the cycling holiday company, Cycle Sierra Nevada and was developed as a way to give talented young cyclists an opportunity to avail of a cycling training camp.

The aim of the scholarship is to bring together a group of young athletes from different nationalities with the chance to participate in a week-long training camp and, hopefully, learn from each other.

Matthew will be training with other promising riders from Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Germany and the Rep of Ireland.

He won his coveted place after posting several of his training logs on to Instagram. These then caught the eye of Cycling Sierra Nevada, whose chose him out of hundreds of other hopefuls.

Matthew has been a member of the Dromara club for around five years. During the summer months he rides approximately 300 miles a week. He’s currently doing three road sessions and two indoor sessions per week.

He says he’s looking forward to doing high altitude training in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

“Training at altitude is a major step up because it creates more red blood cells, which means you can take in more oxygen,” Matthew explained.

“I’ve dreamt of becoming a professional rider and I am really excited about taking part in this training camp.”

A spokesman for Cycle Sierra Nevada said: “Part of the mission of the scholarship is to help the participants learn and develop tools to become better athletes.

“However, we are not in the business of selling dreams. Cycling is an incredibly demanding sport and a life as a professional is simply unattainable for the majority.

“The main emphasis of our cycling scholarship camps will not be overly competitive in nature but simply for the individuals selected to enjoy their time in Spain and to take away some positive experiences.”