Go For Gold plots bigger, better cycling races

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,” said Go during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum Tuesday at the gallery room of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“Actually, it was already plotted that we will have more legs that will still cover Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. We also want to add more events, especially road races and time trials.”

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 here in the country,” 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 even if they are not yet known in cycling. That’s why we want to go there and discover more talents,” he said.