Two Cebuano cyclists will be competing in international events this week but at different venues. Nino Surban, the premier mountainbike rider in the country today, is in Jecheon City, South Korea, for the 16th Asian Mountainbike Championships. He will be competing with Asia's best and that includes the powerhouse China and Japan.
Nino posted an observation on the www.cebucycling.com website last Saturday on the steepness of the descents and the ascents of the race course. He also commented on how cold the weather is now in South Korea. Hopefully, he can make the needed adjustments to bring home the crown.
Maritis Bitbit, on the other hand, is currently in Australia and will be joining in the Herald Sun World Cycling Classic in Ballarat. A native of Toledo City, Maritis has been in Australia for a few months now and is under the tutelage of Darryl Perkins, a world class track coach who also is the father of Shane Perkins, a World Champion in the Keirin event. Maritis is staying with our taga-Sugbu friend Down Under, and my teammate for the Tour of Matabungkay, Brett Harrington, since the RP government isn't really keen on sending athletes abroad for training.
According to UCI rules, they will not be wearing their national colors (according to the race information sheet, Maritis is listed under Australia) which for me is justifi-able considering that Maritis's relationship with Philcycling.
If you recall, during the last SEA Games, Maritis was the only cyclist who had the license to race but somebody from the top told her to forfeit her event after the other RP riders were not allowed to race for lack of racing licenses. Of course, the lack of licenses was due to the quarrel between two groups who wanted to take over Philcycling. Unfortunately, the problem remains unresolved.
Her competition in the Sun Herald race includes 3-time Tour de France Feminin Champion, 37-time French and World Champion Jeannie Longgo and 2004 World RR champion Judith Arndt of Germany, to name a few. It would be interesting how Maritis's talent can live up to these world class riders.
In behalf of the Cebu cycling community, I wish both Nino and Maritis the best of luck!
Ormoc City Medical Society Road and MTB Race
Almost 50 executive riders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, majority from Cebu, will be joining the OCMS race this weekend. Organized by Dr. Jaime Gatchalian, the race will finish on Lake Danao, a 12km climb from the city of Ormoc.
I wasn't able to join this race the past years for personal reasons and because it usually coincided with the Talisay Fiesta Circuit race, which in my opinion, is the best race in Cebu. I had initially thought that the Talisay City had scrapped the traditional road events this year but after a talk with Honorable Judge Mario Manayon yesterday, he informed me that it's a go. So there you have it, two weekends of great racing!!!
Finally, Congratulations to Jong Sepulveda for placing 3rd behind Tony "Tata" Codina and LitoPastedioin last Saturday's Crit at the Mandaue Rekla……DearMayor Rama, this lady traffic enforcer who is assigned at one of the busiest corners in the city, the corner of N. Bacalso and V. Rama in the early mornings, deserves all praise and a raise……the Cebu Dental Society will be hosting the PDA-Hapee-Xylitol Regional Convention for Central Visayas this Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at the Cebu Grand Con-vention Center Grand Ballroom. Registration starts at 8am.