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Collaborative.
Structured. Supportive.

Train with Clarity.

Stephen helps committed cyclists move beyond guesswork and train with a clearer plan, stronger communication, and a deeper understand of the process behind their performance. His coaching brings together cycling-specific programming, strength and conditioning, performance education, and return-to-training experience to support athletes at various stages of their development.

Stephen McMullan

BSc., MSc., ASCC, HPC, ChPC

coach@athletesxcel.com
Coaching cyclists to cut through the noise, trust the process, and perform with purpose.
Stephen McMullan
BSc., MSc., ASCC, HPC, ChPC

Coaching Philosophy

Stephen’s coaching philosophy is built on structure, collaboration, trust, curiosity, and honest communication. He believes athletes perform best when they understand the “why” behind their training, feel supported through clear guidance, and feel actively involved in the process. His role is not simply to prescribe sessions, but to help each cyclist build confidence, take ownership of their progress, and develop the resilience needed to perform both on and off the bike.

Educated and Certified by:

A 360° Approach to Cycling Performance

Stephen’s 360° coaching approach connects every part of performance: the bike, the body, the mind, and the demands of real life. Instead of handing athletes a generic plan, he looks at the full picture so each cyclist can train with clarity, adapt with confidence, and perform with purpose.

Cycling
Performance

Stephen builds training around the specific demands of the cyclist’s goals, whether that means speed, power, endurance, pacing, race craft, or event preparation. Each session is designed with purpose so the athlete understands how the work connects to performance.

Strength
& Conditioning

Strength work is programmed to support what happens on the bike. Stephen focuses on strength, movement quality, force production, resilience, and gym work that transfers into better cycling performance.

Recovery & Load
Management

Progress depends on balancing training stress with recovery, consistency, and real-life demands. Stephen helps athletes manage fatigue, busy schedules, and training load so they can keep progressing without unnecessary burnout.

Confidence &
Mindset

Many cyclists struggle with doubt, overthinking, pressure, or too much outside noise. Stephen helps athletes build confidence by creating structure, simplifying the process, and helping them trust the work they are doing.

Communication &
Education

Stephen’s coaching is built around honest communication and helping athletes understand the “why” behind their training. This creates a more collaborative relationship where athletes feel supported, informed, and actively involved in their progress.

Return to Training /
Injury-to-Performance

Stephen supports cyclists moving beyond injury or rehabilitation who need a clear path back to structured training. His approach helps rebuild capacity, confidence, and performance without rushing the process.

Coaching Story

Built From Both Sides of the Athlete Experience

Stephen’s approach to coaching was shaped long before he worked in high-performance cycling. As a young athlete, he experienced how much a coach can influence confidence, opportunity, development, and enjoyment in sport.

Those early experiences stayed with him. They helped shape a coaching philosophy built around more than programs and performance metrics. For Stephen, good coaching means understanding the person behind the athlete, creating a clear path forward, and helping each cyclist build trust in the process.

That belief continues to guide his work today: coaching cyclists with structure, honesty, curiosity, and a 360-degree view of performance.

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  • Early Lessons Through Sport

    Stephen’s earliest understanding of coaching came through his own experience as an athlete. Growing up in sport, he saw how much the right guidance could affect confidence, development, and opportunity.

  • First Steps Into Coaching

    He started coaching young athletes as a teenager and discovered that coaching involved more than just instruction; it was about helping athletes feel supported, challenged, and capable of growth.

  • A Foundation in Physical Education and Fitness

    His interest in athlete development led him toward physical education, fitness, and a deeper study of how the body adapts, performs, and responds to training.

  • Strength & Conditioning Expertise

    Stephen’s path developed into strength and conditioning, where he built a deeper understanding of movement quality, force production, resilience, injury prevention, and the physical preparation needed for performance.

  • High Performance Sport

    Stephen’s career expanded into high-performance sport, where he worked with athletes navigating pressure, training demands, performance expectations, recovery, and the small details that influence long-term progress.

  • Cycling Canada and Elite Cycling

    Through his work in cycling, Stephen developed a 360-degree coaching perspective that brings together bike training, strength and conditioning, recovery, injury prevention, athlete communication, and performance planning.

  • Return to Training / Injury-to-Performance

    Stephen’s experience also shaped his ability to support cyclists moving beyond rehabilitation and back toward structured training. This bridge from injury to performance is an important part of his coaching lens.

  • Athletes Xcel Today

    Today, Stephen coaches committed cyclists online, helping them train with greater clarity, confidence, structure, and purpose. His work is built around individualized programming, honest communication, education, and a collaborative coach-athlete relationship.

Canadian Senior National
Sprint Track Cycling Team

Supported Track Cycling
Sprinters

Coach McMullan is known for his work with the Canadian senior National Sprint Track Cycling Team for 6 years between 2018-2024. Holding the titles of National Cycling Coach, Assistant, and Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach. Coach McMullan has supported track cycling sprinters who have won National and Continental Championships in track cycling, as well as an Olympic Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist from Canada.

As well as leading various UCI Class 1, Class 2, and Nations Cup racing projects for the senior National Team, Coach McMullan trained selected Canadian development sprint track cyclists based at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre [Milton, ON]. 

Always Learning

Mentorship

Over the years, Coach McMullan has been able to learn from some of the best cycling coaches around the globe, witness current best coaching practises, and be mentored by one of the best Olympic sprint track cycling coaches today, Coach Franck Durivaux.

Notable Racing Achievements

Master’s Division

Coach McMullan has spent his entire life riding a bike and competing in races. Through the use of cycling as a cost-effective mode of transportation throughout his college years to compete in short-circuit road races in his twenties. These days, you might see him competing in the master’s division of track cycling competitions and having a good time in the “beer leagues.” Notable racing achievements include:

Ontario Provincial Championships 2021

1st Place | Master Men Sprint | Master Men Keirin | Master Men Elimination

Ontario Provincial Championships 2022

1st Place | Master Men Keirin
2nd Place | Master Men Time Trial

Track Sprint Programme

Canadian
National Team

The following development riders have graduated to the Canadian National Team, Track Sprint programme under Coach McMullan training programming, support and leadership:

Erin Watchman, 2023
Ryan MacDonald, 2024
Cole Dempster, 2023

The following rider results can be attributed to Coach McMullan training programme and support:

UCI Class 1, Track Challenge 2022, Grenchen SWZ

1st Place | Elite Men Sprint
3rd Place | Elite Women Keirin | Elite Men Sprint | Elite Men Keirin

Results Based Training

Championships

UCI Troféu Internacional de Pista Artur Lopes 2023, Anadia POR

3rd Place | Elite Men Sprint

UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships 2023, Cali COL

3rd Place | Junior Men Sprint

Canadian Track Cycling Championships 2024, Milton CAN

1st Place | Elite Women Time Trial
3rd Place | Elite Men Keirin

Results Based Training

Championships

Ontario Provincial Championships 2022, Milton CAN

3rd Place | Elite Men Keirin
2nd Place | Elite Men Time Trial

Ontario Provincial Championships 2023, Milton CAN

1st Place | Elite Women Time Trial | Elite Men Sprint | Elite Men Time Trial | Elite Men Keirin
3rd Place | Elite Women Sprint

Ontario Provincial Championships 2024, Milton CAN

1st Place | Elite Men Keirin | Elite Men Time Trial | Elite Men Sprint
2nd Place | Elite Women Sprint | Elite Men Sprint
3rd Place | Elite Women Sprint

Canadian Track Cycling Championships 2024, Milton CAN

1st Place | Elite Women Time Trial
3rd Place | Elite Men Keirin

Results Based Training

Championships

Coach McMullan also trains provincial senior and master cyclists through his work as a cycling coach with Athletes Xcel. The following riders’ outcomes so far:

Ontario Provincial Championships 2022

2nd Place | Elite Men Sprint | Elite Men Time Trial | Elite Men Keirin

Ontario Provincial Championships 2023

2nd Place | Elite Men Sprint | Elite Men Time Trial | Elite Men Keirin

Ontario Provincial Championships 2024

2nd Place | Men Master C Time Trial | Men Master C Scratch | Men Master C Points 

3rd Place | Men Elite Sprint | Men Elite Time Trial | Men Master C Individual Pursuit