Picture this: you are a young, talented rider from a country far away from Europe. You’ve been riding for years, watching the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España on TV and hoping to one day be part of that amazingly fast, competitive peloton. Out of the blue, you get a call offering you a trip to the Old Continent. You are about to spend two weeks in Spain, living like a pro, coached by elite trainers and nutritionists who want to help you take your performance to the next level. The perfect opportunity for you to prove your worth and earn a ticket to race for one of the world’s finest development teams. It’s the stuff of dreams, isn’t it?
Well: this is the Grassroots Program, created by Giant Bikes in cooperation with Equipo Kern Pharma, the Spanish UCI ProTeam that developed top cyclists like Richard Carapaz, Igor Arrieta or Pablo Castrillo, with the goal of giving talented riders from all over the world a chance to make it to the big leagues.
One of the riders scouted in the first edition of the program (2023), Taiwan’s Ho Yen Yi, is already in the pro ranks. Another two from the 2025 edition, Hong Kong’s Yip Hon Man and UK-born and Singapore resident William Mitchell, are cutting their teeth at Equipo Kern Pharma’s feeder team, Equipo Finisher.
From 7 to 21 June 2026, eight boys from Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Thailand and South Africa are enjoying an opportunity to turn their dreams into reality in Navarra (Spain), at Equipo Kern Pharma’s headquarters, through the Giant Grassroots Program. And, for the first time in the short history of this initiative, they are joined by four girls from Taiwan, Thailand, Germany and Spain in the first edition of the Liv Grassroots Program.
“We don’t exist just to sell cycling products,” explains Giant’s Global Marketing Manager, Jeff Huang. “We also want to contribute to cycling culture. This is why it’s very important for us to inspire the youth, and why we give talented riders from across the globe the opportunity to come to Europe, grow as athletes, and maybe fulfill their dream of racing in the UCI WorldTour and in events like the Tour de France.”
“We are very proud of this Grassroots Program,” says Equipo Kern Pharma’s General Manager, Juanjo Oroz. “We believe in developing young talents, and in searching for them all over the world. Both Giant and Liv do believe in this, too, and this has enabled us to share many goals, and also a vision to achieve them.”
The work began months ago, with the different branches of Giant identifying talents and forwarding their profiles to Equipo Kern Pharma’s performance team. After interviewing the riders and analysing their data, twelve young riders aged between 16 and 22 were selected to participate in the Grassroots Program.
Once in Navarra, they are provided with brand-new Giant, Liv and Cadex equipment and receive a number of lessons from the team’s coaches, trainers and nutritionists, as well as all the medical and paramedical attention they may need. Throughout the two weeks of the program, they face demanding training rides and undergo several tests to assess their current level and their potential.
Furthermore, they also have the chance to get to know a new country and a new environment in which to live and breathe cycling. And, last but not least, they get acquainted with a group of aspiring riders from different backgrounds and upbringings who may become friends for life after two weeks sharing pedal strokes – and coffee rides!
“It’s very rewarding to see these boys and girls spending time with each other, having a laugh while working hard to become a better version of themselves,” points out Oroz. “We wear our hearts on our sleeves, treating all riders with care and empathy, getting involved with their growth both on a personal and sporting level. We believe in the law of attraction, and when both the team and the riders have a positive attitude, it’s more likely to get a positive outcome.”
It’s up to the riders now to make the most of Giant’s and Liv’s Grassroots Program. There is no doubt they will never forget these two weeks in Spain – for many reasons. This is a character-building experience that can well be life-changing. “But the meaning of the program doesn’t depend on the results the riders ultimately achieve in cycling,” asserts Oroz. “The Grassroots Program is meaningful in itself.”
