A bolstered roster of freshly recruited Filipino and European riders will power the Philippines’ Victoria Sports Pro Cycling (VSPC) Team that eyes to compete in one local and 15 international races this year.
Now on its second year as the Philippines’ third Union Cycliste Internationale squad, VSPC’s massive lineup overhaul is expected to strengthen the team’s technology transfer program that team representative and mainstay Pako Ochoa envisions to benefit the country’s cyclists.
“VSPC is a team for the Filipino,” Ochoa said. “Our dream is to elevate Philippine cycling to the highest level possible and this could be achieved by giving our riders an opportunity to compete and experience the level of competition in more international races.”
Aside from listing in the National Championships (Philippines), VSPC riders will also compete in the Tour de Taiwan, Volta Limburg Classic (Netherlands), Belgrade Banjaluka (Serbia), Vuelta Asturias (Spain), GP. Intl Beiras Serra De Estralla (Portugal) Jelajah Cycling Series Surakarta (Indonesia), Tour of Hellas (Greece), Tour of Estonia, Tour of Malopolska (Poland), Aziz Shusha (Azerbaijan), Sibiu Cycling Tour (Romania), Tour De Banyuwangi Ijen (Indonesia), Prueba Villafranca – Ordiziako Klasika and Circuito De Getxo-Memorial Hermanos Otxoa (Spain) and the Tour D’ Indonesia.Ochoa said he expects an easier trek toward the competitions this time as last year’s was full of challenges.
“Last year’s formula was not easy. But we need to earn experiences from the European riders, staff and races. Transfer of technology is important to us if we want to elevate the level of the sports here at home,” Ochoa said.
Portuguese rider Jose Jaoa Mendes is a holdover from last year’s foreign composition of the VSCP.
He will join Brazilian Nicolas Sessler, Spanish Edgar Nieto and Dutch Jeroen Meijers in reinforcing the squad that has Spanish cyclist Hector Carretero as sports director.
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