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Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 4

May 5, 2013 Comments off
Biker in Le Tour de Flipinas 2013 Stage 4

Bayombong to Baguio, take the Wall and Shotgun and multiply them ten times and you’ll have a pretty good idea of this route.

Many mountain bikers in Metro Manila are familiar with Timberland, San Mateo and the infamously steep road leading to it. Bikers have nicknamed it as The Wall, because climbing it on a bike is like ascending a sheer wall.

Near The Wall is another infamous climb which has come to be known as Shotgun. It rivals The Wall in steepness, but is much longer. Bikers agree that Shotgun is a much more punishing ride, because when the sun comes up, there are hardly any trees on the road which can provide shade and relief from the heat.

Now take The Wall and Shotgun and multiply them ten times and you’ll have a pretty good idea of this route. I am talking about the killer fourth stage of Le Tour de Filipinas 2013–a route which took riders from the town of Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya, through Aritao and all the way up to the country’s summer capital Baguio. Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 3

May 2, 2013 Comments off

Le Tour De Filipinas Stage 3 Climb

A taste of the mountains

After two long punishing flat stages nearly 200 kilometers each, Le Tour de Filipinas was about to kick it up a notch and pick up some serious altitude. Finally, after the sprinters had their field day, the climbers would have their time to shine.

With a length of just 104 kms, Stage 3 was almost just half of the 196-km long Stage 2. But it also presented the first serious climb of Le Tour, and everyone was looking forward to finally testing themselves on the race’s first real mountain stage. However, everyone also knew that it was just a prelude, and that the real test would come the day after in the dreaded Stage 4. Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 2

April 22, 2013 Comments off
Le Tour de Filipinas Stage 2

A fast flat route amid scorching temperatures tests the riders of Le Tour de Filipinas Stage 2

The heat returned with a vengeance on Day 2 of Le Tour de Filipinas. The longest stage of the tour was likely also its hottest stage as the sun baked the roads from Aparri, Cagayan to Cauayan City, Isabela.

The heat was already making itself felt as early as 8am when riders began arriving at the starting line. It was not yet uncomfortable, but the humidity was palpable. I left the town of Aparri with the TV crew at around 8:30 or about half an hour before the race started to scout for a few scenic spots for filming. Even though it was just mid-morning, I think I already consumed two bottles of water because of the heat. And to think that I was riding in an airconditioned car.
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Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 1

April 18, 2013 Comments off
Le Tour 2013 kicks off in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Riders rush out of the starting line as Le Tour 2013 kicks off in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Pinoy cyclists gave a gallant fight, but in the end the superior training of foreign pros was just too much. That pretty much sums up the action at the recently concluded Le Tour de Filipinas–the most prestigious biking race in the Philippines.

I was fortunate to have been part of the media contingent for this year’s tour. I was invited by Living Asia Channel to document the event, and am now in the process of writing the script for it. I finally got to see the windmills in Bangui Ilocos Norte, ride through the awesome Patapat viaduct again, see the postcard pretty Marlboro country in Cagayan, and witness the brutal but beautiful uphill road from Nueva Vizcaya to Baguio. Most important of all, I got the chance to observe up close what a UCI sanctioned race looks like. And let me tell you, it’s the next best thing to actually seeing the Tour de France. Read more [+]