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 [+]