AFTER the success of the three-leg criterium races this season, a bigger and better Go For Golf Cycling Series is in store next year.
Founder Jeremy Go said the sports foundation will be out to hold additional races and events for the year 2025, still covering Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
The plan is a cycling league that will be a year-round offering and an overall series champion.
“Next year, we will probably have more legs. Actually, naka-plot na ‘yan that we will have more legs. Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao pa rin. And we want to add more events, especially road races and time trials,” Go said in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the gallery room of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The series went nationwide this year, holding races in Pampanga, Cebu, and just recently, General Santos City.
Aside from the additional events and races, Go also mentioned the possibility of adopting a cumulative point system to determine the overall champion by the end of the series.
“We want to create a cycling league, which hopefully will encourage more riders and more teams to participate and bring up the growth of cycling dito sa Pilipinas,” Go added in the public sports program backed by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and ArenaPlus, the country’s 24/7 sports app.
“We’re looking forward to next year and we’re looking forward to more teams and more riders participating consistently.”
Go said at least two provinces in Northern Luzon and the Visayas have signified their intentions to host the races by next year but refused to name them. He said they are not yet known as cycling hotbeds.
“That’s the good thing about these provinces that have reached out to me, hindi pa sila well-known sa cycling. That’s why we want to go there and discover ‘yung talent nila doon,” he said. “Pero very soon. Siguro by January maa-announce na natin.”
Go said this year’s racing series was a good gauge of how things will unfold for cycling next season.
“It’s been a very successful 2024 for us,” said Go, adding that Go For Gold only planned to hold a single race this year, but eventually decided to hold three races to give riders from the Visayas and Mindanao the chance to participate.
