USA Cycling’s Search for Speed, a track sprint talent identification program launched in early 2023, hosted its fourth of four scheduled open combines at the VELO Sports Center on June 1. With an eye on exposing the sport and tapping into Southern California’s dense population and deep athletic roots, the open combine format presents a way for anyone within the desired age range of 16-30(+) to sign up and showcase their power and explosiveness in front of the USA Cycling coaching and sports science staff without any fee or obligation. The VELO Sports Center in Carson, CA, was selected as the program’s epicenter and hub because it is the United States’ only indoor 250m velodrome, home to USA Cycling’s Sprint Program, and will host track cycling in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“Our fourth open combine was our best yet,” says SFS Program Coordinator, Rex Ainslie. “The talent level was quite high, and it was our best attended to date. It also included a short list of repeat testers—something we view as a genuine indicator of serious program interest. Overall, we feel very positive about launching Search for Speed and the opportunity it offers to everyone. And that mission continues and remains on-going.”
With four open combines now completed, all test data, including relevant intangibles, will be considered by the USA Cycling coaching and sports science staff to determine who, if anyone, will move to the Talent Integration ("TIN") phase. It is important to note that this program does not guarantee acceptance, and there is no predetermined minimum or maximum number of qualifiers for the Talent Integration phase or beyond.
Final selection into the TIN phase is expected to be made soon. Once finalized, TIN athletes will be introduced to track cycling and all related activities at the VELO Sports Center. In the meantime, Search for Speed testing and pop-up tryouts will continue semi-regularly and on a case-by-case basis. All tryouts and pop-ups are listed on the Search for Speed website at searchforspeed.com and on the program’s social channels at @searchforspd.
