TdC eye bonus points for 

vintage car-church selfies

TAGBILARAN CITY, September 26 (PIA)--For correctness, take it in sepia. 

Gentlemen drivers clad in period correct outfits in their show-room quality vintage classic sports cars can take a selfie featuring newly restored Bohol iconic stone churches could earn bonus points. 

The photo, possibly in sepia, would have to be uploaded on the social media with a pre-agreed hash-tag to earn the car team bonus points to recoup their penalty points accumulated throughout the three-day ride in Bohol. 

This is among the ideas considered by Tour de Cebu (TdC) rally director Pepon Marave, during the press conference launching the Tour de Cebu in Bohol , September 25. 

TdC however only uses sports cars with racing performance built from 1972 or earlier, the classic two seaters, excluding the sports sedans or more appropriately the sports coupe, restored and without any other speed enhancing accessories, explains Marave who headed the technical team during the press conference. 

Already in the list are 48 sports cars, including a 1959 Jaguar XK150 from Singapore, a handful of Porsche 911s, Datsun 240Zs, 1966 MGB 1800 roadster, 1964 Triumph TR4, 1969 Alfa Romeo Duetto, 1965 Shelby Cobra, 1962 Porsche 356B, 1963 Corvette Stingray and the crowd famous 3-wheeler Morgan. 

And while on the rally, drivers and their navigators wear era correct drivers' suits fitting the car they are driving, race organizers said. 

Now an annual moving vintage car show event in its 4th year, TdC is a touristic rally that is patterned after the Italian Mille Miglia, a fun rally through 1,000 kilometers of scenic roads in the Visayas, and here, using restored pre-1972 sports cars. 

The historic rally is set October 20-22 and drives though over a thousand kilometers across Bohol towns. 

Organized by Cebu's Performance And Classic Enthusiasts (PACE) and the Manila Sports Cars Club, TdC, one participated in by vintage car collectors, is more of precision than speed, explains Marave.

That means a sports car is given a specific time to get though a finish line, no sooner and not later or the driver and his navigator earns penalties, adds car enthusiast and Tradeshow International president Sophie delos Santos. 

But, a driver's selfie with his vintage sports car and having an old Bohol church in the background can earn him points, Marave said, working from the hint of Bohol Tourism Council chairman Atty Lucas Nunag. 

A devastating storm foiled the TdC inaugural ride which was supposed to cross Dumaguete and back to Cebu, according to Marave. 

The following year, TdC successfully went to Dumaguete, drive to Bacolod and then to San Carlos before crossing again to Cebu and taking the TransCentral highway back to Cebu City. 

On their third year, TdC came to Bohol and pegged a road spectacle as local government units and the warm Boholanos took to the roadsides and unmindful of the rain, greeted the drivers with flag lets and appreciating applause. 

Enthused by the experience last year and the good experience of driving along nicely built roads and scenic view, TdC returns to Bohol, delos Santos bared. 

And in their coming, drivers would be testing newly completed roads, according to Marave who just had gone through the ocular inspection of all routes the 1000 kilometers would be logged. 

The tour's day 1 starts at flag off at the Tubigon Plaza after unloading the cars from SeaCat, delos Santos said. 

Day's route include a drive through Calape, Loon and the left at Catagbacan to Antequera, to San Isidro, Libertad Tubigon, right to Catigbian then to Sagbayan and Danao as day 1's pitstop. 

From Danao, drivers ride on to Getafe, Talibon to Trainidad, Ubay, Guindulman, Jagna and then to Tagbilaran where they rest overnight at Be Grand, TdC's home in Bohol. 

The following day, after flag off, drivers take the Bohol east highway to Jagna, then navigate the technical ascent to Mayana to Sierra Bullones, Pilar, Alicia to Ubay and then to Trinidad pitstop. 

Then they head off to Carmen, right to Sagbayan, Catigbian, Balilihan, Corella, left to Loboc via Sikatuna before homing to the Be Grand. 

On day 3, after the flag off at the Be Grand, drivers follow the road to Balilihan through Batuan via Hanopol, left to Carmen, then left again to Sagbayan, Catigbian, Libertad Tubigon to San Isidro, Antequera, Cortes, Balilihan then off to Loboc before going to Panglao. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Tour de Cebu in Bohol makes use of Bohol's tourism sites especially the centuries old churches as fitting backdrop for vintage cars and their era-correct suited drivers and navigators touring the island paradise October 20-22, organizers said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)