Subic bike festival lures international field

MANILA, Philippines - More than 1,000 cyclists and bike aficionados from 13 countries compete in the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF), a three-day cycling event firing off today at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The 2009 TLBF, considered as the biggest and most challenging in this series that started in 2002, has become the most awaited cycling competition in the country owing to the various bicycle races, demonstrations, and exhibits lined up in the event, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza.

“This puts Subic in the map of sports tourism because the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival has also made a name in other countries,” Arreza said. “In fact, this event will be featured in the Dirt Rag magazine, one of the most popular US-based cycling magazines, making the 2009 TLBF a part of their Dirt Rag World Tour.”

Festival director Gregorio Larrazabal said the bike festival has “generated a lot of interest from cyclists all over the country - from as far up north as Ilocos and from as far down south as General Santos City.”

He added that the event has attracted participants from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and United Kingdom.

On tap in the event are the Mountain Bikes X-Country, Single Speed X-Country, Downhill Competition, 4X/Mountain Cross Challenge, Dirt Jumping and Trials Competition.

In the Road Bike event, the three-day, four-stage road race dubbed the “Tour de Larrazabal” features corporate professionals and executives, while the Super Cross Championships and the Dirt Jumping Competition will be on tap in the BMX races.