Two years ago he arrived in Pachacámac with a bicycle and the hope of trying something new. This weekend he returns to the same place, but with a completely different goal: to be national champion. At 16 years old, Arón Neuman will face one of the most important races of his young career this Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6. The National Downhill Championship will bring together approximately 200 competitors and will have the Lima rider as one of the young people seeking prominence in the Junior UCI category.
Arón arrives at this race after a season that is starting to give him signs that the leap is possible. In July he achieved third place in the Junior UCI category in Cusco and then returned to the podium in Cajamarca, where he finished second. Now he wants to take the next step: win the national title and continue building the path towards one of his great goals, representing Peru at the 2027 Pan American Downhill, according to the selection criteria of the Peruvian Cycling Federation. “The podium in Cusco gave me a lot of confidence and the second place in Cajamarca motivates me even more. I am working to arrive in the best way at the National Championship,” he says.
In the Peruvian calendar there are approximately five ranking dates and one national championship. All these results are part of the annual competition, but the National has an additional value: whoever wins their UCI category is considered national champion until the next edition. In Arón’s case, it is the Junior UCI or Under-19 category. “It is very important because it is the National Championship. The year consists of approximately five ranking dates and one championship, and both add up for the ranking. But if you win a UCI category, like Junior UCI or Under-19 in my case, you are considered national champion until next year,” he explains.
Pachacámac, moreover, is not just any circuit for him. There he raced the first downhill race of his life, two years ago, precisely in a National Championship. At that time he did not yet have the competitive level or the resources to fight for the top places in his category. That experience, however, ended up being the beginning of something that today occupies an important part of his life. “It’s funny because the first competition of my entire life was a National Championship in Pachacámac two years ago. At that time I didn’t have the level or the resources to win or compete in the category that corresponded to me, but I took it as a valuable experience. Now I return with different preparation and much more desire to compete,” he recalls.
The transformation started with something as simple as a cruiser bike. Just over two and a half years ago, Arón received one and met a group of friends who practiced downhill. He had never practiced an extreme sport, but curiosity got the better of him. What started as a challenge ended up becoming a passion and, later, a sports career. “I had never practiced an extreme sport. It caught my attention a lot and I wanted to overcome that challenge. Since I started I understood that progress depends on consistency and trusting the process,” he says. In 2025, during his first official season, he finished third in the National Ranking of the Under-17 category.
Since then, he has competed in the National Ranking, the American Series held in Pachacámac and Cusco, and in circuits such as El Morro and Amancaes. He has also achieved podiums in events such as Tattoo Terra Challenge, Downhill Cup, and Enduro Chorrillano.
His sports growth also occurs within a family known for other scenes. Arón is the son of Peruvian actress Jimena Lindo, current wife of Manolo Barrios, a recognized member of the historic national band Mar de Copas. Manolo is not his biological father, but the relationship they currently maintain is very close and similar to that of a father and son.
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The challenge in Pachacamac
Now Arón returns to Pachacámac with an advantage he does not want to waste. It will be the first date of the season held in Lima and local riders know better a circuit where they train regularly. “The championship is at home. It is the first date in Lima and we Limeños have a certain advantage over those who train in the provinces, because we know and train regularly in Pachacámac. These last dates have all been in the provinces. Now it’s time to defend home,” he says. After the National, he plans to continue competing in the local circuit, including the fifth date of the National Ranking at Morro Solar, scheduled approximately for September 25.
Two years ago, Pachacámac was the starting point. This weekend it could become the place where Arón confirms how much he has changed since that first race. He no longer arrives just to discover what he can do on a bicycle. He arrives after podiums in Cusco and Cajamarca, with experience on the circuit and with the possibility of becoming national champion.
The next goal will be a little further away: the 2027 Pan American Downhill. “I want to keep improving, competing, getting to know new places, and enjoying this sport. Each race leaves me something new,” he says. And before thinking about what comes next, he is clear about what to do at home: “We already know the circuit, we train here and it is our home. Now it’s time to defend it.”
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