A path from Master of Sport to a new-generation coach, international team manager, and author of an innovative training methodology.
In professional cycling, reputation is built over years—through results, systematic work, and the ability to lead others. The name of 35-year-old Andrii Horkusha is well known in the professional cycling community, both in his homeland of Ukraine and far beyond its borders—first and foremost as a person who has trained more than 30 Ukrainian champions in road and track cycling. He is not only a Master of Sport of Ukraine and a multiple-time champion and medalist of national road cycling championships; his career path, in addition to a successful athletic career, encompasses coaching, management of professional cycling teams, and the development of an innovative training methodology.
Unlike most coaches and sports managers whose activities are limited to a local or national level, Andrii Horkusha’s professional path combines a successful athletic career, systematic training of champions, and management of professional teams that competed in international events under the auspices of the UCI.
In 2024, Andrii relocated to the United States and established a nonprofit organization in California—American Center for Sport Excellence & Research Inc. His experience and methodologies can now be integrated into the local sports environment, contributing to the development of cycling and the training of new talents.
Sports career from childhood passion to professional athlete
Bicycles attracted Andrii from early childhood. At the age of nine, he began practicing cycling professionally in the city of Sumy. At fifteen, he moved to Kyiv and enrolled at the Republican Higher School of Physical Culture in the cycling department, where he continued his professional development.
Competing as a member of the Ukrainian National Team in the junior category and later in the U23 category, he repeatedly became a champion and medalist of Ukrainian national championships. In 2005, Horkusha received the honorary title of “Master of Sport of Ukraine” after finishing second at the Ukrainian Championship and meeting the time standard in the individual time trial.
In 2010, as a focused and determined athlete, he began competing internationally as part of the continental road cycling team Kolss Cycling Team. In parallel, Andrii pursued higher education: earning a bachelor’s degree from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine (Department of Cyclic Sports), followed by a master’s degree in physical education from the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi State Pedagogical University named after Hryhorii Skovoroda.
The title of “Master of Sport of Ukraine” is an indicator of entry into a limited circle of athletes who achieve national-level results and confirms compliance with high professional standards in cycling.
Coaching career: developing new generations
In 2011, due to health reasons, Andrii was unfortunately forced to end his athletic career, but this did not mark the end of his path in cycling. Horkusha dedicated himself to training young athletes.
Working as a coach at the Holosiiv Youth Sports School, and later as a lecturer and senior lecturer at the Olympic College named after Ivan Piddubnyi, he trained more than 30 Ukrainian champions in road and track cycling. Such a result is atypical for an individual coach and demonstrates a systematic, reproducible approach to athlete development rather than isolated successes. Among them are many well-known names, including Yaroslav Hnidash, Ruslan Koshovyi, Vladyslav Soltasiuk, Yaroslav Tolstopiatеnко, and others.
In 2020, Andrii assumed the position of director of the Holosiiv Youth Sports School and over the course of four years actively developed cycling in Kyiv across all major disciplines—mountain biking, road cycling, track cycling, and BMX. The school regularly organized competitions for children, and during his leadership, athletes of the Holosiiv Youth Sports School achieved significant international results: two trainees became medalists of the European Road Cycling Championships, and another athlete won the title of European champion on the track. An important indicator of effective work was the increase in the institution’s status: at the time of Horkusha’s appointment as director, the school held a first-category status and was subsequently upgraded to the highest category.
His trainees repeatedly became members of the Ukrainian national team and demonstrated strong results at international competitions. This stage of activity shaped Horkusha as a specialist capable of working not only with individual talents, but with a full-fledged system of athlete development.
Manager of professional teams: the international arena
A special place in Andrii Horkusha’s career is occupied by his work as a manager of continental professional teams—Kolss Cycling Team, Kyiv Capital Racing, and Kolss BDC Team.
Under his management, the teams represented Ukraine at prestigious European events, demonstrating a high sporting level, discipline, and compliance with international standards of professional cycling. Among the most notable achievements was the victory of athlete Vitaliy Buts from Kolss Cycling Team at the international European UCI 2.2 race—the Romanian Cycling Tour in Romania in 2013 (Stage 6, final stage, route Buzău–Bucharest, 134 km—1st place). Also notable was the victory of athlete Oleksandr Polivoda from Kolss BDC Team at the European multi-day UCI 2.2 race CCC Tour – Grody Piastowskie in Poland in 2016 (Stage 3, final stage, route Walbrzych–Dizirconium, 153 km—1st place).
Beyond the European continent, the teams also competed in other regions of the world. For example, Kolss Cycling Team took part in the Tour of Qinghai Lake—an annual professional cycling race in China that holds a high status in international cycling. Moreover, the team not only participated, but also achieved stage victories. In particular, in 2014, Mykhailo Kononenko of Kolss Cycling Team won the overall classification.
Victories, systematic management, an analytical approach to preparation, and the ability to work with a team made Horkusha’s name recognizable within professional cycling. It was this international-level managerial experience that enabled him to combine athletic preparation, organizational processes, and strategic planning into a single effective model.
Participation and victories of athletes under Horkusha’s leadership in UCI calendar competitions confirm that his managerial and coaching decisions meet the international standards of professional cycling.
ARVETS training method: when the brain works together with the muscles
A separate direction of Horkusha’s professional activity is the development and practical implementation of the adaptive rhythmic-variable endurance training system for cyclists (ARVETS). This training method for sessions lasting over three hours was developed by Andrii to prepare athletes for road marathons, multi-day races, and ultradistances—formats that require stable power output over a prolonged period.
ARVETS is based on the combination of four key principles:
- Cadence rhythm control: the system changes pedaling speed in specific cycles, making training more effective.
- Left–right leg balance: ARVETS monitors that both legs work evenly and compensates for imbalance when necessary.
- Immediate adaptation: training loads are adjusted in real time to the athlete’s condition.
- Brain in play: during the final phase of training, the cyclist receives audio signals that train decision-making “under fatigue.”
The distinguishing feature of the ARVETS methodology is its interdisciplinary nature, combining physiology, neuromotor control, and cognitive decision-making mechanisms, which is not typical for standard cyclist training programs.
ARVETS has been applied in the training process of many athletes, including those from professional continental teams—Kolss Cycling Team, Kyiv Capital Racing, and Kolss BDC Team. During its application, riders demonstrated increased endurance, greater stability in multi-day races on the UCI calendar, and competitive race results.
Today, the ARVETS methodology is used not only in professional sport, but also within systems for training young athletes. In particular, during Andrii Horkusha’s tenure as director of the Holosiiv Youth Sports School, the methodology was transferred to the school’s coaching staff and integrated into the training process. Based on this approach, coaches of the Holosiiv Youth Sports School trained champions and medalists of the Ukrainian Cycling Championships, confirming the effectiveness of the method when working with junior athletes.
From practice to science: research and development
Alongside his practical activities, Horkusha’s experience has gradually acquired scientific reflection, as evidenced by specialized academic publications. In addition to developing the ARVETS system, Andrii Horkusha has recently engaged in scientific research in the field of cycling. His studies focus on optimizing training processes and improving athletic performance. In particular, in 2025, his article “Use of Power Monitoring Systems for Predicting Sports Performance and Optimizing Training Programs in Cycling” was published in the specialized journal Academic Vision, examining modern methods of load control and analysis of training effectiveness.
Horkusha has also studied hypoxic training strategies for athletes. In the article “Hypoxic Training Strategies: Comparison of ‘Live High – Train Low’ and Intermittent Hypoxic Breathing for Improving VO₂max,” published in 2025 in the journal Pedagogical Academy: Scientific Notes, he compares different approaches to training under conditions of limited oxygen and their effects on aerobic endurance.
Recognition and professional reputation
Thus, Andrii has followed a long and multifaceted path from professional athlete to coach, manager of international teams, and author of an innovative training methodology.
For his personal contribution to the development of physical culture and sport, professionalism, and leadership, Andrii Horkusha has repeatedly received official commendations from the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, and the Kyiv City State Administration’s Department of Youth and Sport.
For example, on October 4, 2020, Andrii received a commendation from the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, “For a significant personal contribution to education and the upbringing of student youth, the development of national education, high professional excellence, and on the occasion of Education Workers’ Day.” On September 10, 2022, Horkusha received another commendation “For a significant personal contribution to the development and promotion of physical culture and sport in the city of Kyiv and Ukraine, high professional excellence, and on the occasion of Physical Culture and Sports Day.”
The received commendations confirm the fact of official recognition of his professional role by local government authorities within the sports system.
