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Top Portuguese cyclists bolster new PH professional cycling team


Portugal rider Andre Cardoso during the 23.5 km individual time trial, the fourth leg of the 69th edition of the Criterium du Dauphine cycling race on June 7, 2017 between La Tour-du- Batteries and Bourgoin-Jallieu.

FILE–Andre Cardoso of Portugal during the Criterium du Dauphine cycling race on June 7, 2017. (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP)

MANILA, Philippines–Victoria Cycling Team (VSCT), the Philippines’ newest professional cycling team, will feature top professional cyclists from Portugal in an effort to push strengthen the training of professional Filipino cyclists and help improve the team’s performance in international cycling competitions.

The team’s lineup “consists of a mix of veteran riders and emerging young athletes from the Philippines and Portugal,” including two former World Tour drivers, José Mendes and André Cardoso, according to the report. team representative, Pako Ochoa.

Other members of the group include Jhay Oconer, Kelvin Mendoza, Márcio Barbosa, Luis Krog, Pedro Paulinho, Ean Cajucom Daniel Cariño and Jerry Aquino.

VSCT, a racing team licensed by United Cycliste Internationale (UCI), will represent the Philippines in international tournaments starting this year.

According to Ochoa, one of the team’s goals is to “regularly and actively represent the country in major international cycling events in Asia and around the world”.

“Ultimately, our ambition is to create a world-class team that will proudly wear the colors of our country and help raise the profile of cycling in the Philippines.”

Jose Mendes of Portugal rides a horse during the 14.5 km individual time trial, the fourth leg of the 75th edition of the Paris-Nice cycling race, between Beaujeu and Mont Brouilly, on March 8, 2017.

FILE–Portugal Jose Mendes during the Paris-Nice cycling race on March 8, 2017. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ/AFP)

Ochoa also says that tapping into experienced world-class cyclists “is one of the moves the team has made to help VSCT compete internationally” using a strategy “has been proven by the other teams used in the past.”

“If we want to keep up with the best cyclists in the world, we have to train and ride with the best cyclists in the world. These include people like José [Mendes] and Andre [Cardoso]Ochoa said.

Both were members of separate UCI WorldTeam cycling teams that have competed in top races such as the Tour de France.

Mendez is a former Bora-Hansgrohe World Tour racer and two-time Portuguese national road champion. On the other hand, Cardoso is a former World Tour racer for Trek Segafredo.

Meanwhile, the team’s officers include Atty. Franco Lacandalo (team representative), Jobert Catina (Caring for drivers and mechanics), Rayzon Galdonez (assistant sporting director) and Micael Isidoro (sporting director).

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