Cycling unification races blast off today

CEBU, Philippines - The long wait is over. Cycling enthusiasts can once again witness the highly anticipated cycling showdown this week.

The pedal-pushing kicks off today as the Koten Unification Races National Qualifying event commences at the Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City.

Apart from identifying the would-be cyclists who will don the national colors for the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Games, this event will also mark as the first time ever for the respective wards of Mayor Babol Tolentino’s PhilCycling and Colonel Arnolfo Taberdo’s Integrated Cycling to strut their stuff in the same cycling event.

These two warring cycling factions can perhaps set aside their disputes and finally settle their score on this unification event.

Supported by Koten Enterprises, a Taiwanese Electrical Company, in close cooperation with Harbour Cener, Philippine Olympic Commitee (POC), Philippines Sports Commission, PhilCycling, Integrated Cycling, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, 7-11 by Roadbike Philippines, Powerade, Coca-Cola, Viva Mineralized Water, Zen Skin Institute and Grace of Shekinah School in Sta. Maria Bulacan, the 5-day, 8-discipline qualifying tourney via Track Events at the Amoranto Velodrome.

The Asian Games slots for track events in Sprint, 1-Kilometer Individual Time Trial, 4-Kilometer Individual Pursuit, Olympic Sprint and Team Pursuit are up for grabs for male and female cyclists on day one.

The men’s and women’s qualifying for Keirin and Points Race will be held tomorrow at the Amoranto Velodrome, while the Road Race Individual Time Trial and Massed Start will take place in Subic Bay on the 23rd and 24th of July.

On Sunday, July 25, the Koten Unification Race wraps up with an extreme riders challenge on Downhill and Cross Country Events for Mountain Bike at the Subic Terrains.

The Koten Unification Races serves as a fitting end to the long standing feud between PhilCycling and Integrated Cycling, which became the reason for the country’s absence in Cycling Competitions during the Laos SouthEast Asian Games.

With POC’s intervention, the nation has dramatically improved its chances to once again have representatives in future international cycling events.    

“Masaya po tayo at bagama’t inabot ng mahaba-mahabang panahon, matutuloy na rin ang Unification Races. Simula na sana ito ng pag-aabot kamay ng mga cycling officials at groups natin. Bayan ang tiyak na makikinabang rito!”, said an enthusiastic Asian Games Chef de Mission Joey Romasanta, who served as the prime mover for the “peace talks” between PhilCycling and Integrated Cycling.

Apart from POC, the erstwhile feuding blocs also went hand in hand in seeking financial support for this cycling spectacle.

Cycling is among the potential Gold Medal hauling sport for the country in the Asian Games, particularly in the Downhill and Cross Country Bike events.

Philippine Cycling can also pin its hopes on Road Race, where most of our top-notch cyclists have formidable experience joining tournaments like Tour de Lankawi, Tour of East Java, to name a few.

Meanwhile, two of the country’s top cyclists and Southeast Asian Gold medallists Victor Espiritu and Alfie Catalan will not join the event.

Men’s Points Race champion Espiritu decided to try his luck in coaching, while Catalan is training at the Philippine Army. (THE FREEMAN)