All news tagged Cycling

Larga Pilipinas is officially set to roll out this weekend as the country’s premier cycling race series flags off in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Pangasinan on November 29 and 30.

More than 3,000 cyclists are expected to compete in both road bike and mountain bike events across seven major categories: Pro Elite, MTB Men’s Open, Road Bike Boys 18U, Road Bike Boys 23U, Road Bike Men’s 23U, MTB Amateur Boys 18U, and the demanding Fix Gear division, where riders compete on brakeless bikes in the ultimate test of control and endurance.

Larga Pilipinas president and race director Gary Role revealed during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that organizers expect additional last-minute registrants. The event, originally scheduled for August, was postponed due to typhoons and impassable routes.

The Pro Elite division has drawn 105 riders, while the MTB Men’s Open has the highest turnout with 845 participants, highlighting the nationwide excitement for the revived event.

Operations and creative head Snow Badua announced an exciting addition this year—the Titan Ultra 1-on-1 Challenge, a head-to-head battle between rising star Junjun Cabadido and continental rider Marc Ryan Lago to push local cycling performance.

“As part of Larga Pilipinas’ innovation and niche to be the trail blazer in Philippine cycling, we’re coming up with this one-on-one race. Paghaharapin natin sila in our bid na gawing continuous yung Titan Ultra Challenge natin. It’s an event within an event ng Larga Pilipinas.” Badua said. 

Stage 1 will run through the Nampicuan-to-Nampicuan course, while Stage 2 covers Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija, to the Sitio Baag Highlands in San Jose, Tarlac.

Winners in all categories will receive cash prizes, medals, and trophies, with ₱20,000 going to the Titan Ultra 1-on-1 champion.

Filipino cyclist Joseph Javiniar delivered a breakthrough performance for the Philippines at the PETRONAS Le Tour de Langkawi, finishing second in Sprint 2 (74.1km) of the grueling 214km Stage 7.

Riding for 7Eleven Cliqq Road Bike Philippines, Javiniar made his mark by joining the race’s key breakaway group — the first time a Filipino has done so since 2018. 

His impressive sprint earned him a podium finish behind Malaysia’s Aiman Rosli, who took first place, while Yusri Shaari settled for third.

Javiniar’s achievement not only showcased Filipino cycling talent on the international stage but also marked a promising step for the national contingent in one of Asia’s toughest road races.

The highly anticipated six-stage Larga Pilipinas Cycling Marathon has been officially postponed due to persistent inclement weather in recent weeks.

“It’s quite unfortunate because the teams prepared hard for this. But as we speak, there are areas in Northern Luzon, especially in the Cordilleras, that are currently isolated because of the heavy rains,” said Larga Pilipinas operations chief Snow Badua yesterday, July 30, during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

Originally set to start on August 2, the event will now kick off on November 29, as Badua confirmed. “Palipasin na muna natin ang typhoon season. Let’s give the LGUs all the time to focus on the situation and huwag na tayo madagdag sa isipin nila.”

“Heavily battered ang Northern Luzon, that’s why, in close coordination with the different LGUs (local government units), we needed to reset, also upon the advice of PhilCycling president Abraham Tolentino,” he explained.

“We cannot, in good conscience, move forward knowing these hazards put our participants and the teams at real risk. Their safety is, and always will be, our top priority,” he added.

Despite the delay, excitement remains high for the marathon, which is expected to feature 10 competitive teams, including several international riders. The event is poised to be one of the country’s largest and most competitive cycling races this year.

Organizers stressed that the postponement was made with participant safety as the top priority, ensuring optimal racing conditions for all teams.

The third and final leg of the Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 3, which took place in General Santos City last month, was warmly welcomed and garnered positive comments. 

The successful one-day bikeathon event served as more than just a way to discover new cycling talents, but also intended to revive the vibrant local bike culture in the country. 

Go for Gold founder Jeremy Go believes that there is a surprising amount of talent among Filipino riders, they just need more time for practice and experience. 

“The goal of the race really is to provide an avenue for cyclists, for Filipino cyclists, and at the same time, to scout talent for our cycling team,” Go told Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.