Cycling prodigy wants to be the very best

LIFE IS a journey that Juvenile Time Trial Champion Cajur Chue says he is taking one a pedal at a time, but the 15-year-old is already envisioning himself at the top of international cycling competitions’ podiums.

“As a junior I want to win as many championships as possible, both locally and internationally. As a pro, I want to win the world championships for Jamaica and I’d love to win at least one stage in any tour,” Chue said.

The tenth-grader at Herbert Morrison Technical High School only started cycling in June 2020 but he is already making a name for himself on the local circuit.

Jamaica Cycling Federation president Dr Wayne Palmer is really impressed by Chue’s progress and he expects great things from him in the future.

“Cajur is one of our top cyclists, performing as well as the senior cyclists. He’s one of the talents, one for the future, so I think we can look forward to good things from him,” Palmer said.

Chue has been qualifying for national teams since his first year of cycling but on his arrival at the Caribbean Championships, he was told he was too young to compete.

“I was only 13 at the time and I was just devastated. Even though I didn’t get to ride, I was still able to learn from the experience because I watched every event at all levels. This made me realise how much work was left for me to do when I came back home. Looking back, I’m glad that I was able to learn so much even though I didn’t get a chance to participate. It helped me to set the bar for myself,” Chue said.

There has been more disappointment for Chue this year, as the 2022 Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships has been officially cancelled due to a hurricane affecting the host country, Puerto Rico.

EXPERIENCE AND GROWTH

“I was training for that… so my parents and I have decided to do as much local and international training/competition in-between school… this will add exposure, experience and growth,” said Chue, who is now in Miami training.

He said the main contributor to his development as a cyclist is his support system, which includes his parents, coaches, training partners and mentor, Anthony Ebanks.

“I have the best parents anyone can ask for. They are with me every step of the way, whether it’s training or at a race. My mom plays a major role with my training schedule and nutrition and my dad is like my personal mechanic. He taught me a lot about the technical side of the sport,” he divulged.

He said local and international riders also keep him motivated to go after his goals.

“My two coaches Donald Hall and Wayne Smith have taught me so much and helped me to improve drastically since I started back in 2020. Internationally, I love Remco Evenepoel’s style of riding and his resilience as a young cyclist. He’s making history and I hope to do that one day for my country.”

While he is pedalling his way to success, Chue said he believes more can be done to help other young cyclists to join this race.

“We have so many juniors that are interested in the sport, but it’s a very expensive sport. The gear and bikes aren’t cheap and it takes a lot to maintain. It would be really cool to see the country provide for those who are really interested in the opportunity to learn and take part in the sport,” Chue said.

“I believe this would change the way we see the sport in Jamaica and change things overall for the better.”