Topher Rivera, age 18, started cycling competitively at the age of 11. Since early on in his life he’s competed in many sports that include wrestling, tennis, cross country, and track. Currently, he is a Category 3 racer, and this would be Topher’s 7th year of racing. In 2022, he competed in 15 events that included some notable results; a victory at the Ohio State Championship junior (16-18) race and 4th place in the Cat 3/4 race at the Hyde Park Blast in Cincinnati, Ohio and a 2nd place overall in a Detroit-based race series throughout the summer. "I'm excited to have this opportunity to improve myself as a rider and as a teammate. I look forward to a season full of hard work and growth as a member of the Cleveland Cycling Academy. I hope to have a great season learning and growing with everyone." said Topher. “We are so delighted to have Topher on the Cleveland Cycling Academy. We are excited to help him achieve all his goals and watch him develop to become an elite-level cyclist, “says Robert “Polo” Fernandez. What was your favorite race in 2022? I think it was probably road nationals in Virginia, even though my results were not what I wanted. I think that out of all the races I did that year, this was the one I learned the most from. Racing against so many talented cyclists really highlighted some of my weaknesses and showed me where I needed to improve. Also It was a really fun race we don’t have many big hills in Michigan so I enjoyed the elevation changes of the course. When you are not training how do you like to spend your time? Play volleyball, go for runs, and ride my mountain bike.
Recent notable results include: • 2022 Madeira Criterium - Men Category 3/4 9th place • 2022 Hyde Park Blast Criterium - Juniors 15-18 1st place • 2022 Hyde Park Blast Criterium - Men Cat 3/4 4th place • 2022 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Champ – Crit - Men Jr 17-18 Cat 1-3 51st place • 2022 M1 Cycling Classic - Men 1_2_3 9th place • 2021 Detroit Cycling Championship - Men 3 Senior 14th place • 2021 Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race - Men Jr 15-18 1st place • 2021 Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race - Men CAT 3 4th place • 2021 Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race - Men Jr 15-18 1st place • 2021 Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race - Men CAT 3 4th place • 2019 Buhl Grand Prix - Men 4/5 2nd place • 2019 Zeeland Criterium - Men CAT 4/5 3rd place • 2019 Ada Criterium - Men M CAT 4/5 3rd place • 2019 Ada Criterium - Men JUNIOR 1-18 2nd place • 2019 Athens Brick Criterium - Men Cat 4/5 4th place • 2019 Athens Brick Criterium - Juniors 9-17 Open 1st place • 2019 Sylvania Cycling Classic - 15-18 Junior 1st place • 2019 Sylvania Cycling Classic - Men Cat 4/5 4th place • 2019 Madeira Criterium and Run - Men CAT 4/5 2nd place • 2019 Hyde Park Blast Criterium - Men CAT 4/5 4th place • 2019 Hyde Park Blast Criterium - Men JUNIOR 15-18 CAT Open 3rd place • 2019 Detroit Cycling Championship - Men Cat 4/5 13th place • 2019 55th Annual Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Race - Men Jr 15-18 1st place • 2019 55th Annual Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race - Men CAT 4 1st place
