Country’s biggest cycling race eyes Zambo as kickoff point

THE biggest nationwide cycling race covering over 2,400 kilometers through Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao dubbed as Ronda Pilipinas 2013 will be mounted on January 10 to February 1, 2013 with Zamboanga City as the starting point.

Mayor Celso Lobregat on Monday expressed elation over this development, saying that making Zamboanga City as the Ronda Pilipinas 2013’s starting point will help boost the City Government's tourism promotional efforts.

Lobregat expects the city to attain a number of benefits out of the event, as he expressed full support to the conduct of the activity.

Representatives from the organizer, LBC, a courier company and partners Total and the MVP Sports Foundation on Monday met with Lobregat, City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. and Chief Executive Assistant Mario Roca at City Hall and discussed the details of the activity.

Now on its third year, Ronda Pilipinas 2013 is part of the long-term commitment of LBC and partner organizers in an athletic discipline that Filipinos love and can truly excel.

Ronda Pilipinas 2013 project director Jaideep Chulani said the bicycle race will feature at least 96 Filipino cyclists vying for cash prizes totaling almost P8 million, the biggest prize ever for local cycling.

Ronda Pilipinas 2013 aims to continue the pursuit of providing a strong base for the improvement of the sport and the Filipino cyclist to be back on the highest possible level in Asia as a platform for competing with the best of the world, and firmly establish corporate and sporting partnership with the corporate sector led by the country's courier of choice LBC and other sponsors.

It also aims to improve efforts with local government units in optimizing sports events like Ronda Pilipinas in the promotion of tourism and environment protection/preservation, and to build, develop and improve upon the foundations established by the inaugural in all aspects of the project.

The 400-strong entourage of Ronda Pilipinas will arrive in Zamboanga from January 10 to 11 in time for the race day, January 12, at 9 a.m. with starting point at the City Hall.

From Zamboanga City, the race will proceed to Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, then to Pagadian City, Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu.

From Cebu, the race will proceed to Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet.

The race will cover a period of 28 days -- 18 days of racing that will involve over 2,500 kilometers through Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon.

Ronda Pilipinas 2013 race director Ricardo Rodriguez and race administration director Joaquin Yabu, together with LBC-Western Mindanao area head George Delgado, conducted a route survey after the meeting with Lobregat and other City Hall officials. (Bong Garcia)