Carla Flotenia, Carlo Flotenia, Khalil Sanchez, Nilo Barbalose, and Dongkey Sanchez. | Facebook photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — One of Cebu’s vaunted racing teams, the Keith DeFiebre Cycling Team, is nearing to earn its 900th win in a local race.
No other group in Cebu has reached this kind of milestone but this team comprised of talented cyclists backed and funded by American sports patron Keith DeFiebre.
“Overall, the team is swiftly approaching its 900th win in its 8th year of competition. The team was created in 2017 by the USA’s Keith DeFiebre to develop talents in the bike race game for female and male athletes from Cebu and the Visayas region of the Philippines,” DeFiebre told CDN Digital.
READ: Keith DeFiebre Cycling Team reaches historic 800-win milestone
To recall, the team celebrated its 800th win mark in October last year. They successfully achieved their 800th first-place finish in a local cycling competition.
900th win
This time, they’re on the verge of etching another milestone thanks to the team’s new core members who continue to win their races.
READ: Strong start for Keith DeFiebre Cycling Team
Recently, the team dominated the 3rd Annual San Fernando MTB-XC Circuit Race in south Cebu.
According to DeFiebre, each of the team’s representatives in the race’s categories ended up first placers, while some members wound up with podium finishes.
READ: Keith DeFiebre Cycling Team bikers win in Sagay City
Besides the San Fernando race, they also shone in the ANDOT Cycling Apparel MTB XC Race and the Moalboal MTB XC Challenge.
Young cyclists
DeFiebre lauded his young cyclists Carla and Carlo Flotenia from Badian town in southwestern Cebu who flexed their huge potential by winning the abovementioned races.
Carla, 17, was the overall champion in both races, while her younger brother Carlo, 16, snagged the boys’ 17-under title for these events. Carla also ruled the Minglanilla XC Circuit Race and the Panadtaran XC Circuit Race.
On top of that, she earned a bronze medal in the 2024 PHIL Cycling National Championships.
DeFiebre also noted his elite cyclist Khalil Sanchez who has been raking many mountain bike races throughout Cebu these past months. Khalil’s father, Dongkey Sanchez, also helped in collecting wins for the team in the older categories.
Lastly, DeFiebre lauded his veteran cyclist in Nilo Barbalose who also won more than a dozen races this year.