Cycling Open kicks off soon

TOP and promising cyclists will flock to Tagaytay City to compete in the PhilCycling’s National Open on February 15.

Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling) President Abraham Tolentino said the open will gather together the country’s finest and grizzled riders in the road and mountain bike competitions which will be held in Tagaytay City.

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The track competitions are scheduled at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City, one of the only less than two-dozen velodromes in the whole of Asia.

“We expect the best in Philippine cycling to vie in the national open, where we will select members of the pool for the major international races this year,” said Tolentino.

The top placers as well as the promising youngsters that will emerge from the open will be prioritized for any Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) races slated this year.

Among races on the UCI calendar that the PhilCycling would be participating in are the Asian Cycling Championships, the Asian Mountain Bike Championships and the Track Asia Cup.

The Asian championships for road and track will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in April. The Track Asia Cup, a purely velodrome competition that is also held annually, will be held in Malaysia and Thailand later in the year.

The UCI tasks all its member federations to stage their national championships yearly.

Under UCI regulations, national federations are advised to hold their national championships in July to conform to its world calendar.

But for certain countries, tropical or those below the southern hemisphere, the world governing body for cycling allows national championships to be staged before or after the onset of rains. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)