Pro cycling looks East

Realizing only recently that China is the next big market for professional cycling, the Union Cycliste International has lately organized the first Tour of Beijing and rammed it down the throats of a very tired professional peloton, who has been on the road since January, starting in the Tour Down under.

The pros at this time of the year are in no mood to travel around the world just to take part in a race where in their mind, they would have been somewhere in the tropics, relaxing under the palm trees or simply trying to spend time with loved ones and re-energize for the 2012 season. But the UCI threatened the teams with revocation of licenses which means that they won’t have automatic invitation to biggest races of the cycling calendar.

The Tour of Beijing almost didn’t start because the UCI wanted the race to be radio-free, meaning, communications between cyclist and the team car are banned, while the cyclist, sick of the unilateral pronouncements of the UCI, wanted to boycott the event. But since the cyclists do not have a united representation, in other words, a solid union, they are in no position to talk to the UCI with force. In fact, the UCI was rumored to and so, the show went on.

OCMS

I had to beg off from the Ormoc City Medical Society Road Race at the last minute due to personal reasons but I don’t think I’ll be missed. Dr. Jaime Gatchalian, who organizes this event for a cause, knows how to put up a top-notch event. Any part of Leyte- Ormoc, Maasin or Hilongos- that hosts a road race is always a pleasant event to participate- nice roads, very little traffic, if any, very accommodating people and very competitive cyclists. 

The OCMS race route is a repeat of last year, with the first 55km of rolling, paved roads, but the last 14km is a killer, a monster climb all the way to Lake Danao. The nice (or the worst, depending on your climbing skill) thing about this climb is that there is no reprieve, no flat portions. The gradient may appear to flatten a little bit but then it ramps up again. The final 1000 meters is the steepest and at that point last year, I got off for the third time!

Talisay Fiesta Crit

Another must do event that I missed. I love the South Coastal Road circuit because it’s not only wide but the roads are completely closed to traffic. Credit goes to Judge Mario Manayon, Councilor Ronnie Capala, Cenon Tan and the City of Talisay. Congratulations to Art Lambo for his 2nd place finish in Cat B and Taty Ty for getting 3rd place in Cat C.

"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?" Steve Jobs recruitment pitch to John Sculley, who he lured away from Pepsi-Cola to serve as Apple’s CEO. - THE FREEMAN