Larga Pilipinas returns, heavy in climbing stages

MANILA, Philippines —  A total of 10 professional teams and over 10,000 cyclists see action in various categories as Larga Pilipinas returns with a short but sweet six-stage race starting in Cabanatuan on Aug. 2 and ending in Baguio City on Aug. 7.

“We’re expecting to surpass the 10,000 participants we had when last hosted Larga Pilipinas in 2018,” said Larga operations director Snow Badua during yesterday’s race launch at the Red Dynasty Seafood and Hotpot Restaurant in Manila.

“We’re calling it a people’s race and a race for all so everybody, from newbies to pros, can participate,” he added.

Larga chair Froi Dayco said five teams have confirmed their participation – Go for Gold, Excellent Noodles, Standard Insurance-Navy, D-Reyna Orion Cement, and reigning Tour of Luzon team champion Metro Pacific Tollways Drivehub.

Race chief commissaire Sunshine Joy Vallejos said Larga would be a climber’s paradise as it features four stages wtih ascents.

The first two stages will be relatively flat ones – 197km Cabanatuan-Cabanatuan Stage One and 146km Cabanatuan-Mangaldan Stage Two – but the next four will test the riders’ climbing prowess – the 146km Mangaldan-Bayombong Stage Three, the 95.2km Bayombong-Banaue Stage Four, the 83.1km Banague-Sagada Stage Five and the 142km Sagada-Baguio Stage Six.

“This is practically a race for climbers,” said Vallejos.