Nuvali dirt bike fires off today

MANILA, Philippines - The fifth Nuvali Dirt Weekend 2013 unfolds today at Nuvali’s sprawling Laguna community south of Manila with off-road bikers numbering to 2,000 clashing for top honors in a three-day battle of wits and skills ending Sunday.

This year’s edition also mark the first time that the event will stage a national mountain bike championship sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

“We’ve done these races for five straight years and this is the first time that we will do a national championship so we’re really excited,” said organizer Athena Mendoza in yesterday’s press launch at the Skinny Jacks, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The mountain bike tilt will be divided into three divisions – cross country Olympics, downhill-individual and four cross races.

Winners will receive cash prizes and UCI points that will give riders a chance to race in international races, including the Southeast Asian, Asian Games, Asian Championships and other UCI-registered races.

“The importance of having UCI-sanctioned events is that we not only got to educate people and countries to races of international standard but also we give cyclists a chance to get UCI ranking points,” said UCI representative Geoffrey Kornenburg, who was accompanied by fellow commissaire Maximilian Mager.

The event will also feature six non-registered mountain bike events races like the 30-kilometer XC Race, 24-hour racer, the Phl Duathlon Series, Kid’s Championship race, Fixie events and folding bike-bi-modal ride.

In keeping with the 2,290-hectare Ayala Land development’s thrust toward a community steeped in sustainable living, Nuvali also joins the celebration of the Climate Change Week through cycling activity with the Cycling Change Commission.

The event will also donate a percentage of registration fees for the rehabilitation of houses in coastal areas of Carles and Estancia, Iloilo.