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El Grupo Honors 2025 Youth Cycling Team

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TUCSON, Ariz. — Thursday El Grupo honored their 2025 Youth Cycling Team.

“These are young people who have committed to the team," El Grupo Co-founder, Ignaci Rivera de Rosales said.

14-year-old Mya Mendoza is just one El Grupo Cyclist. Taking after her dad, Mendoza knew cycling was her sport

“Biking is just different, and I don’t want to be the ordinary person who plays volleyball or soccer," Mendoza said.

The cyclists were given their jerseys and honored by El Grupo alumni.

Rivera de Roasles said there’s no greater gift as a coach than having the past and present come together.

“It's great to have alumni come back and celebrate the young kids on the team because there’s nobody that understands them in that way," Rivera de Roasles said. "Only if you’ve been through the program do you understand what that means.”

From 2012 to 2020, Izabel Adams was getting a jersey, but Thursday Adams relived the impact El Grupo had on her.

“Being a kid and just trying to figure that out is so much easier when you have a crew working with you and for you," Adams said. "El Grupo is exactly that. You have a family and a group of people supporting you the whole way.”

The team kicks off their season with the 24 hours in the Old Pueblo Race.

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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.

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