EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Teenager Maddox Calderon, a former student at Americas High School, joined the youth ranks of A.R. Monex, Mexico’s premier professional cycling team, and will spend the next nine months competing in Europe against elite up-and-coming cycling talents in the world.  Images a courtesy of A.R. Monex Pro Cycling “I’m really proud to be at this level. I never imagined to reach this level at this short age. But now that I am, I’m really excited,” Calderon said.  Seventeen-year old Calderon earned his spot in A.R.'s Under-19 age category team during a rigorous training camp in Mexico City this past December, training and adjusting to the grueling altitude of the city.  Images are a courtesy of Maddox Calderon But Calderon said he would have never reached this point without having a passion for the sport, which was passed down to him from his father who was also a competitive cyclist.  “What I’m most passionate about, and enjoy about this sport is the speed. Cycling is not about going on a chill ride. It’s about going 30, to 35, sometimes even up to 45 mph, through steep climbs and descents. Then, you add the scenery and being able to enjoy it with friends, those are the beauties of the sport,” Calderon said.  Calderon was born in Phoenix and raised in Delicias, Chihuahua -- just five hours away from El Paso -- where he largely developed into the cyclist he is today. Calderon began competing in cycling at 6 years old and said he immediately began succeeding in local, state, and national competitions throughout Mexico. Image courtesy of Maddox Calderon Calderon said he spent the last couple of years living in El Paso with the goal of taking his game to the next level.  “When I moved from Delicias to El Paso, my performance improved considerably. I began having better results in state and national competitions in both Mexico and the U.S.,” Calderon said.  Calderon said he benefited from training in the extreme heat of El Paso, which will help him prepare for similar weather in Italy.  Calderon’s 2025 cycling season will begin in March at San Marino, Italy, a premier destination for competitive and recreational cycling because of its beautiful scenery and hilly terrain, which make for ideal cycling roads.  Calderon’s immediate goal is to have a solid 2025 cycling season which could earn him the opportunity to represent Mexico in the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Junior Track World Championships.  His dream, however, is to eventually go pro in the sport and compete at the UCI World Tour, the top professional cycling season in the world, which consists of individual races like the Tour de France.