Southern California Junior Headed to Europe to Race
8/5/11 - A love of cycling, competitive spirit, and natural talent have enabled So Cal teenager, Diego Binatena, to take the next step in his cycling career. At age 15 with only two seasons of racing experience under his belt Binatena will realize his dream of racing in Belgium- the cradle of bike racing.
Binatena has been selected by USA Cycling to attend the 15/16 European Race Camp in Belgium, which is a developmental camp designed to provide high-level European race experience for our country’s best bike racers. The camp, which runs from Aug. 3 through August 23, includes several one-day race events along with a four-day stage race. Binatena will be racing against the best 15 and 16 year-old cyclists in Europe.
The purpose of the European Race Camp, according to USA Cycling officials, is to give young cyclists an opportunity to experience high-level international competition in a supportive team atmosphere in advance of their participation in top tier events such as the junior World Championships. Only six cyclists from around the country are selected to participate in this prestigious program.
Diego Binatena has been selected to attend the 15/16 European Race Camp in Belgium.
“I had heard about juniors getting picked to race in Europe, but I never thought I would be one of those guys,” said Binatena, who has won several races this year, including the Jr. State Championship Road Race in Santa Maria held in July. “This is truly an honor.”
Binatena attended the USA Cycling West Coast Development and Talent Identification Camp last year, where he caught the attention of Camp Manager and Head Coach, Larry Nolan. Binatena’s ability to “climb like an angel and sprint like a demon” led to a spot on Nolan’s Team Specialized Junior Racing. “This is a powerful combination to take into any event.”
“The European experience will definitely make him a better racer in the future,” said Binatena’s mom, Julie Lansing. “This is a necessary element for becoming competitive on the world stage.”
Over the last decade, hundreds of riders have benefitted from USA Cycling’s National Development Pathway. Riders like Dave Zabriskie, Tyler Farrar, Taylor Phinney, Ben King, Kristin Armstong, and Tejay Van Garderen have all come through USA Cycling’s Program.
