Despite facing setbacks in his recent competitive event, Denver Alphonse Jr. remains determined to elevate his cycling skills. The talented Saint Lucian cyclist recently returned home from the 2024 Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships hosted by the Comite Cycliste Territorial Saint Martin in Saint Martin. His performance was commendable, considering he was the sole rider representing Saint Lucia in the boys 17-18 division.
In an interview with Voice Sports, Alphonse, age 17 and a student of the Entrepot Secondary School, shared his passion for cycling: “I got into cycling because of the fun aspect of it—the thrill of racing, riding fast, and navigating downhill at high speeds. Group rides with friends inspired me to take it to a competitive level and test my abilities against other riders.”
Alphonse’s journey began at age 14 when he participated in several cycling events in Saint Lucia. His achievements include first-place finishes in most time trials, second place in National Championships, and top honors in the junior category and road races.
As a member of a cycling club in Martinique, Alphonse trains regularly and competes in racing events. In 2023, he participated in the regional junior championships, securing 11th place in the time trial and 12th place in the road race among 35 riders.
Denver says that though he did not get the result that he wanted, nonetheless, he is relatively satisfied with his performance and his coach also commended him for putting on a favourable display.
Though Denver considers himself to be a rookie rider, he has grown by participating in events, competing in races in Martinique, from January to June, this year. He secured podium finishes in several races, most notably, the Marc Mercier Grand Prix (February), and Mt Pele ‘King of the Mountains’ Grand Prix (June).
Commenting on the recent Saint Martin event, he explained that he got caught up in a melee caused by a spill involving some riders on the final lap to the finish, which made it difficult to catch up to the lead pack.
Assessing his performances, so far, Alphonse declared: “Some coaches say that I have been excelling at a rapid pace.”
Looking ahead, Alphonse aims to put Saint Lucia on the international cycling map. He recently graduated from Entrepot Secondary School (ESS) and plans to pursue a college education. Alphonse acknowledges the unwavering support of his coaches, Cyril Mangal in Saint Lucia and another coach in Martinique.
“The two of them have been supporting me from Day one,” he said.
He added, “My main goal is to try and put our country on the map and try to see if I could reach the highest level of competition, as possible. So far, I am on a regional level, so hopefully I could make it to an international level.”
His motivation remains strong: “I’ll keep pushing to reach my goal. At the end of the day, it’s about aspiring to compete at the highest level.”