Arlenis Sierra Named Cuba's Top Cycling Hope for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games

July 23, 2026

Cuba has confirmed a delegation of 504 athletes across 19 sports for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, running from July 24 through August 8, 2026, with an announced goal of roughly 70 medals. Among the athletes singled out by Dominican sports press as one of the island's strongest medal contenders is cyclist Arlenis Sierra, who currently rides for Movistar Team on the UCI Women's WorldTour.

Sierra, born December 7, 1992, in Manzanillo, Granma province, has been one of Cuban and international cycling's leading figures for more than a decade. Her career highlights include Pan American Games individual road race gold in Guadalajara 2011, an individual time trial gold at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, and UCI World Tour victories such as the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (2019) and the Giro della Toscana (2019 and 2021), along with a fifth-place finish at the 2021 UCI Road World Championship.

Alongside Sierra, Cuba's cycling delegation includes Marlies Mejías, a middle-distance track specialist, as part of a squad seeking medals in both the road and track events in Santo Domingo. The regional Games will also feature other prominent Cuban athletes, including boxers Julio César La Cruz and Erislandy Álvarez, wrestler Luis Orta, and judoka Milaimy Marín, all with recent Olympic or world championship credentials.