A very special trip!

por | May 29, 2021 | News, Noticias

Maycol Correa, Paulo Pantoja, Brayam Usaquén and David Valero, members of our U-18  team, are traveling  to France for an internship. They will be hosted by Team INCA, where they will live a unique experience.

Thanks to his process with the FUN Team and for their talent,  Maycol Correa, Paulo Pantoja, Brayam Usaquén and David Valero will be traveling for several months to the Old Continent to live an experience that we are sure will leave them a very positive mark as cyclists and also as people.

This is the first time these youngsters will be leaving the country. In 2016 with the creation of our cycling FUN Team our goal has been to provide tools and opportunities for teenagers who dream with become professional bike riders and  contribute to their growth. One of the projects that materialize this purpose are the internships for young bike riders in our FUN Team to the Team INCA of France, subsidiary of the Ag2r.

Wilson Sandoval is our sports director and Fun Team U-18 coach. «Internships are very important and add value to the process of these athletes. It is very good that they live this cultural experience at 16, 17, 18 years and also very valuable learning that they will have while they ride  in new geographies and with other types of rivals», he said.

«This project keeps advancing and we want to give teenagers the experience of  racing high international level UCI races. We have about thirty races scheduled for this season. We also want to enforce the learning of English and French. It will be a special cultural experience. We want these youngsters  to feel good and have a great trip», expressed Jean Jacques Goullieux, president of Team INCA, an entity that hosts, accompanies and welcomes interns under its sports structure.

The first internships between FUN Chaves and Team INCA dates back to 2019, when one rider, Jhon Alonso, traveled to France. In 2020 the project could not materialize due to the pandemic. This year there are four riders who have the opportunity to fulfill their dream.

Voices

 

🗨️ Maycol Correa (17 years old; Concepción, Santander): «For me this internship means a great step in my life. It is the fruit of many years of effort. I want to thank all the people who have supported me, the entire recruitment community and the Foundation for all their support».            📷 Juan Felipe Rubio

🗨️ David Valero (16 years old; Bogotá): «I want to thank FUN Esteban Chaves and Team INCA for giving me this opportunity. I think it will be an enriching experience, I want to learn and continue  growing. I am very happy. I will make the most of it. Dreams are fulfilled».  📷 Juan Felipe Rubio

🗨️ Brayam Usaquén (18 years old; Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca): «I am very happy for the months  I will be spending in France. Thank you to the Foundation and Team INCA for the trust, for giving me the opportunity to know another country and to compete outside Colombia . I am very happy». 📷 Juan Felipe Rubio

🗨️ Paulo Pantoja (18 years old; Túquerres, Nariño): «I hope to live very good experiences, learn a lot, take advantage of European careers. I’m very motivated and I’m going to give it all. I want to put Esteban Chaves Foundation name very high». 📷 Juan Felipe Rubio

Living away from home, getting to know new cultures, interacting with people from different parts of the world and getting a foothold in the sport they have chosen and dream of progressing, are some of the experiences that make this opportunity so valuable. Bon voyage!