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Nuvali: Another Mecca for Mountain Bikers

Biking in Nuvali

Getting some air on the Nuvali 4X track during the Dirt Weekend 2015

Nuvali is a vast real estate development in Sta. Rosa Laguna has been attracting bikers from all over Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. I’d been hearing lots of good things about this place for quite some time now–chiefly about its amazing trails and scenery.

I’d always wanted to check out Nuvali and sample its dirt, but I often got discouraged from going there. Why? Because it meant loading up the bike on the car, and braving the infamous gridlocks of Southern Metro Manila. Yeah, I’ve said it before: nothing ruins my day quite like getting stuck in traffic.

But last December, I finally got to bike in Nuvali.The almighty mountain biking gods accepted my sacrifices of virgin titanium spokes and graciously granted me my most fervent wish! Or almost. Actually, my wife got invited by Seda Hotel for a free overnight stay through her travel blog. Since we were going to be resting, relaxing and luxuriating in an excellent hotel for FREE (!!!), the dreaded traffic going to Sta. Rosa seemed less dreadful. Read more [+]

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013 Stage 4

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

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 1

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 [+]

Covering the Le Tour de Filipinas 2013

The most prestigious bike race in the Philippines

Le Tour de Filipinas 2013: The most prestigious bike race in the Philippines

Last month, I switched to a 29er bike thinking that this would give me the edge I needed for my very first pure mountain bike race. No, I don’t mean to imply that 29ers are superior machines to 26ers. But as any biker knows, nothing motivates you to practice and hammer the trails quite like a new bike.

But sadly, I will not be taking part in the Giant XC Cup at the scenic La Mesa Forest Reserve. The reason is this: Le Tour De Filipinas 2013— the only UCI certified race in the Philippines. I won’t be taking part in it as a racer, but I will be covering it for a TV channel. Read more [+]