Mendoza, Reyes spearhead national juniors squad

Marcryan Mendoza always wanted to be in his father’s shoes while Efren Reyes Jr. never doubted that he would transform from a mere spectator into a high-level competitor someday.

Together with promising rider Ean Cajucom, Mendoza and Reyes became the pillars of the national cycling junior team formed by Philcycling and Go For Gold that will see action in several international races next year.

“He’s my idol,” said Mendoza in Filipino, referring to his dad Ryan, an elite cyclist and duathlete. “This is a big opportunity for me and I will not waste it.”

Philcycling and Go For Gold have formed a seven-man junior cycling squad, which is scheduled to participate in a series of international races beginning with the Asian Cycling Championships in March in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Turnaround

The life of Reyes is a classic example of a major turnaround after serving as masseur to a professional cycling team, which motivated the 17-year-old to join the Philcycling-Go For Gold National Youth and Junior Trials in Tagaytay and Lian, Batangas, last week.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Aljim Mendoza got invited to the team after winning both the road race and individual time trial in the youth division with Josue Albert Decuzar, John Paul Laureta and John Byron Lucero completing the cast.

According to Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go, the creation of a developmental junior team set to compete in several UCI-sanctioned races overseas will boost the country’s campaign to send a Filipino rider to the Olympics.

Project director Ednalyn Hualda said the seven riders would be offered a one-year contract for their services for the national junior squad along with assurance and consent from their parents.

Mendoza won both the road race and ITT for the juniors category, beating Reyes twice by a slim margin.