ORMOC CITY, Philippines – A least 376 participants have joined the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival that kicked off yesterday with national mountain bike races in the afternoon as the qualifying stage for the Philippine Mountain Bike team.
Lawyer Gregorio Larrazabal, founder of the TLBF, said the festival is the only qualifying race for the mountain bike riders.
Larrazabal, a former Comelec commissioner, founded the TLBF in honor of his late father, Emeterio “Terry” Larrazabal Sr., a former OIC mayor of the city.
The TLBF has several race categories, and those who will be picked up for the Philippine Mountain Bike team will be the winners of the elite category, for both male and female.
Parabannes Mendoza designed the racecourse for the national races, which Beatrice Lawaja described as of “international standard.”
The races opened yesterday morning with a “fun race” around the city and the Beer Run, in which the finishers are made to drink three cans of San Miguel Light, Red Horse and Pilsen. The fastest to down the three cans ultimately wins the race.
Composing this year’s panel of commissars who will judge the races are Maximillian Mager and Beatrice Lawaja (international) and Athena Mendoza, Lester Lebumfacil, Arjuna Saulo, Jay Cheng and Parabannes Mendoza (national).