May 14, 2008 (Ottawa, ON) – Please find attached the High Performance Review Report conducted on behalf of the CCA (Canadian Cycling Association) by Podium Canada (Road to Excellence) here. As you may remember this was a request we made last year in order to help us restructure our high performance programs and services to achieve our goals and improve our contribution to Canada’s Sport System. This was no easy task and the review required the support of many of you through surveys and input sessions. I would like to thank Alex Baumann of Road to Excellence for supporting this initiative and for providing Peter Eriksson and Debbie Muir to conduct the report. The report highlights many areas for improvement in order to improve, including:

* The need to hire a strong visionary (High Performance Director/Chief Technical Officer) to develop long term strategy and plans
* The need to prioritize high performance within the disciplines that have the potential to produce podium results
* The development of a better link between development and high performance
* The need to work more effectively with personal coaches
* You will also find the athlete and coach survey data results are included. We are committed to conducting this survey again within 24 months and will again report back on how the organization is progressing.

The implementation of these recommendations will not be without their challenges as it means a commitment to and focus on medal performance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This does not mean, however, that development will be lost, but it will require a strong leader who can partner with the provincial sport organizations, development centres and personal coaches throughout the country who can contribute effectively to our long-term national goals.

There is a job posting for the Chief Technical Officer inviting Canadian and international experts to contribute to the implementation these changes at CCA. It is our plan to conduct interviews during the summer with an announcement to follow the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing.

I remain available should you wish to discuss this report and I remain committed to support this organization through the transition that we have begun together.