Cycling Australia’s new high performance strategy is in danger of becoming a road map towards a crash of Richie Porte Mont du Chat proportions.

Recently-installed high performance director Simon Jones is steering a plan in which he  “ambitiously but tactically” targets up to 21 Olympic and Paralympic gold medals in 2020, eight Commonwealth golds in 2018 and Australia “regaining its position as the world’s leading cycling nation”.

But not everyone is happy.

Jones’ vision focuses unapologetically on track cycling, largely at the expense of the sport’s other Olympic disciplines BMX, mountain biking and road.

Launceston’s Alex Clements, a former member of CA’s under-23 development road team, wrote a considered critique of the concept on his website Stanley Street Social, suggesting its motivator is the Australian Sports Commission’s controversial Winning Edge gameplan.

“Track cycling ... doesn't have a massive following, participation levels are low, there are limited opportunities for riders to generate an income from it and no signs of it delivering an independent revenue stream for the national body,” Clements wrote.

“In terms of supporting athlete sustainability, road development is key.”

Clements is not exactly on a solo breakaway here. His views about a lack of sustainability in participation are widely shared although a more direct personal involvement is stopping others from being as vocal.

Jones, a former coach with Team GB who joined CA in April, talks a good talk.

His October 11 press release spoke of how “a strategic investment of resources to the track ... will provide an increase in the probability of medal outcomes in 2020”.

A stream of inspirational soundbites urge cyclists to “set the bar high”, “embrace the challenge”, “enjoy the journey”, “focus operations”, “improve efficiency”, “maximise resource allocation” and “invest appropriately”.

In Tasmanian terms, the new strategy is good news for the likes of Olympic track riders Amy Cure and Georgia Baker but not so good for a road specialist like Madeleine Fasnacht.

Clements says streamlining the talent pool is a flawed approach. “The more people that ride bikes, the more people that might take up racing and who knows, that young boy or girl that was able to ride to school might turn into an Olympian.” 

He also makes the point that if Australia’s only Tour de France winner – mountain biker turned road rider Cadel Evans – was a 19-year-old today, he wouldn’t be part of the Cycling Australia high performance program.