Go For Gold Cycling Series plans more races

MANILA, Philippines — A bigger and better Go For Gold Cycling Series is in store next year following the success of the three-leg criterium races this season.

Founder Jeremy Go said the sports foundation will be eyeing to hold additional races and events for the year 2025, still covering Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The plan is to have a cycling league that will be a year-round offering and an overall series champion upon its conclusion.

“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 then we want to add more events, especially road races and time trials,” said Go as he appeared in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum Tuesday at the gallery room of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The Go For Gold Series went nationwide this year by holding races in Pampanga, Cebu, and just recently, General Santos City.

Aside from the additional events and races, Go also mentioned about possibly adopting a cumulative point system to determine an 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,” he added in the same session presented 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 to participate on a consistent basis.”

Go mentioned at least two provinces in Northern Luzon and in the Visayas have seriously signified their intentions to host the races by next year, but refused to name them which he said are not yet known as cycling hotbeds.

“That’s the good thing about these provinces that have reached out to me, hindi pa sila that 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.”

But Go said this year’s racing series was a good gauge on how things will unfold for cycling next season.

“It’s been a very successful 2024 for us,” said Go, adding originally Go For Gold only planned to hold a single race this year, but eventually decided to hold three races to give a chance for riders from Visayas and Mindanao to participate.

“There’s a saying that before you can run, you need to learn how to walk.”