The newly formed Cayman Phoenix Performance Team, composed of local and international athletes, will compete in the prestigious La Vuelta Independencia, a seven-day stage race in the Dominican Republic from February 24 to March 2.
Led by local Elite cycling coach Ken Gokool, the team has expanded beyond the grass-roots program, where it continues to develop local athletes. It now includes a regional elite squad competing at the Pan-American continental level of racing on the UCI circuit, which strategically positions Cayman’s talent to benefit from elite-level influence.
This marks a milestone for the newly formed NPO and is an indication of a long-term development vision coming to fruition.
Although still a fierce competitor, the Team’s Technical Director, Darrel Evans Jr, has been instrumental in ‘putting all the pieces together’ and continuing to drive innovation and build the team’s long-term development plans.
Athlete, Sport, and Community are our motto and pillars of focus. Building a support team is paramount to our future successes and partly how we have made this leap forward in our region.
The elite team for La Vuelta comprises National Champions from various Caribbean nations, some of whom are coached by Gokool. Due to scheduling constraints, our local athletes won’t join this Tour, but this opportunity illustrates our proof of concept.
Team representatives Darrel Evans Jr. and Ken Gokool emphasized their Organization’s goals and commitment to building a competitive Continental-level team to collaborate with and inspire local Caymanian cyclists. The vision is exciting, especially the road map of the opportunities the Organization will create with youth development and introducing them to international racing.
One of the team’s key riders, Nathaniel Forbes, was set to compete but suffered an injury. Forbes made history last year by completing the tour, marking Cayman’s return to the race after a 15-year absence. Despite this setback, the Cayman Phoenix Performance Team remains committed to racing in regional competitions throughout the season.
For the remainder of the year, both local and International teams will compete at the regional and Pan-American levels of tour racing.
