Total backs biking event

TOTAL (Philippines) Corp. recently signed a major sponsorship deal with the country's biggest cycling race event, Ronda Pilipinas.

Now on its third year, Ronda Pilipinas takes 96 cyclists to a grueling 21-day challenge covering 2,200 kilometers. The first of the race's 16 stages starts on January 12 in Zamboanga City and ends in Baguio, February 1.

Winners of various legs and stages, along with other titles like King of the Mountain, Best Young Rider, and Sprint King would take home close to P7.5 million in total cash prizes. In 2012, 27-year old Mark Galedo from Mandaluyong was named champion, while his teammate Cris Joven bagged the Sprint King jersey.

Total service stations along the Ronda Pilipinas route have been dressed up to show support to the riders, with special tokens for customers who visit during the race day. Apart from on ground support and providing its fuel products to the support vehicles, Total is also a proud sponsor of the Sprint King title, one of the race’s stage highlights.

"We are proud to be sponsoring the Sprint King title since it speaks not only of speed but of overall cycling performance. And as a brand, we are all about performance. Our products have been tried and tested in the most competitive motorsports like Formula One and World Rally Championships. This is why the title Sprint King is close to Total," said Malou Espina, vice president for marketing and communications, Total (Philippines) Corp.