Fresh from an intense European tour, Victoria Sports Pro Cycling (VSPC) is gearing up to take on Asia’s toughest races for the second half of 2024.
VSPC brings with them valuable experience and a sharpened competitive edge as they go wheel-to-wheel with Asia’s best cycling teams.
The team boasts of a robust lineup of Filipino riders, including rider Pako Ochoa, Daniel Ven Cariño, Edson Corbadora, Ean Cajucom, Ismael Grospe Jr., Kenneth Maramba, Miguel Omerga, Alexis Pagara, and Nichol Blanca Pareja.
Seasoned international cyclists–Jeroen Meijers from the Netherlands, José Mendes from Portugal, Edgar Nieto from Spain, and Nícolas Sessler from Brazil–complete the team and positions.
At the PHILCYCLING National Championships for Road 2024, Pareja claimed the top spot in the Individual Time Trial (ITT) while Pagara secured a solid 3rd place finish.
Meijers showed his mettle by finishing 4th in Stage 1 of the Tour de Taiwan 2024, while he and Sessler delivered strong performances at the Volta NXT Classic 2024.
One of VSPC’s standout moments was Sessler’s 4th place finish in both Stage 3 and the overall General Classification at the Belgrade – Banja Luka 2024.
Meanwhile, Marcelo Felipe earned the King of the Mountain title in Stage 1b of the International Tour of Hellas, capping off his efforts with a 19th place overall finish.
At the 6th Grande Prêmio Internacional Beiras e Serra da Estrela, Sessler, Mendez, and Nieto all delivered commendable results, further solidifying VSPC’s presence in the European cycling scene.
Back on home soil, VSPC’s teamwork paid off in the Lumba Tamo Zambales 2024, where Cajucom clinched the Championship title in the 150KM Road Race Category.
With these achievements under their belt, the team is now setting their sights on the Asian racing circuit.
Their first stop is the Trans-Himalaya Cycling Race in China from August 21-25, 2024. The lineup includes Meijers, Ochoa, Nieto, Cajucom, Corbadora, and Maramba — each one set to ride the hard tracks with grit and determination to the finish line.
VSPC heads next to Turkey for the Tour of Routhe Salvation from August 30 – September 2, 2024.
Representing the team will be Mendes, Sessler, Nieto, Felipe, Pareja, Pagara, and Ven Carino.
The Asian tour continues with the Tour of Salalah in Oman from September 8-11, 2024, before wrapping up in Japan at the OITA Urban Classica Road Race on September 28, 2024.
“We know that we have a challenging road ahead but we have a team that is determined to follow the footsteps of other great Filipino athletes and show that we can compete at the highest level,” said VSPC rider Ochoa.
Originally published on ABS-CBN News.
