TWENTY-ONE athletes checked in at Phitsanulok at close to midnight on Wednesday (February 5) for the 44th Asian Road Cycling Championships and 31st Asian Junior Road Cycling Championships that flags off tomorrow (Friday, February 7) in this city situated north of Thailand.

Cambodia 2023 Southeast Asian Games double bronze medalist Ronald Oranza and Philippines 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Jermyn Prado lead the team sent to the annual championships by the PhilCycling, headed by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Joining them are junior riders Kent Steven Zambrano of Sultan Kudarat, Roy Benedict Plastina of Makati City, Mary Gwennielle Francisco of Quezon City and Jazmine Kaye Vinoya of Pangasinan and Baguio City who topped their respective events in the Batang Pinoy Nationals last December in Puerto Princesa City.

This marks the first time that the PhilCycling is fielding junior riders from the Batang Pinoy that serves as a feeder from the grassroots for the national team elite program.

Also on the team— whose participation is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission led by chairman Richard Bachmann and commissioner in charge for cycling Walter Torres— are Joshua Pascual, Julius Tudtud, Junrey Navarra, Marcelo Felipe, Steven Nicolas Shane Tablizo, Andrei Dennis Deudor, Jude Gabriel Francisco and Ruzel Agapito in the men’s category.

Phoebe Salazar, Maura Christine March de los Reyes, Maritoni Krog, Kim Syrel Bonilla, Angelica Mae Altamarino, Angela Joy Marie Bermejo and Raven Joy Valdez are competing in the women’s contest for Team Cycling Philippines also backed by the MVP Sports Foundation.

The team arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon before embarking on a six-hour land trip to Phitsanulok, where the riders will vie in team mixed relay, individual time trial and road race events of the championships that end on February 17.

Accompanying the team are coaches Reinhard Gorantes, Mark John Lexer Galedo, Virgilio Espiritu, Marita Lucas and Joey de los Reyes and mechanics Reynaldo Navarro and Roderic Calla with Sunshine Joy Vallejos as team director.