Road repairs mar 6th 

Giro D'Luca bike tour 

TAGBILARAN CITY, may 10 (PIA)--They were promised great roads ideal for long rides, warm people and scenic views; and they got it, except one. 

Giro D'Luca riders: roadies, distance riders and a handful of trail bikers rolled off to a full three days of 500 kilometer long ride all had one great review for Bohol; except for minor complaints: road sections that were almost "off-saddle" for roadbikes and drivers who do not know how to share the road. 

The culprit: good roads that were punched and bored, and abandoned rendering the highway into alternating single lane and there was no one helping man the traffic. 

Giro D'Luca, an annual fun long distance bike ride is on its 4th year in Bohol, has attracted over 500 endurance bikers who were lured by the shared stories of great roads, warm people and scenic views. 

Giro D'Luca was first conceived as a challenge of the friends of triathlete Gianluca Guidicelli to "Live, Ride and Celebrate," with 10 kilometers for every year alive. 

This year, Gianluca, who celebrates his birthday May 26, rode with nearly 500 international and local endurance riders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. 

In 2015 when the Giro D'Luca first decided to transfer to Bohol following the completion of the Bohol Circumferential Road, 212 bikers from around the country joined the three day rides; only 40 completed. 

Last May 10-12, on the 6th Giro D'Luca ride, everyone started the long rides well, from The Bellevue Panglao, riders on cleats took the center road to Dauis, turned left to Baclayon and went up to the painful Payahan climb to Corella, then took the left to Balilihan and Catigbi-an. 

And then there was the first cleats-off: Catigbian Church to the Police Station was a full muddy dirt due to a road construction which had several riders losing steam and momentum. 

From Catigbian, the bikers continued to Sagbayan and then veered to another painful series of climbs Danao, reaching elevations of 1,324 meters before taking the same route back to Panglao for the 181.1 kilometers of day one ride. 

When day 2 route was supposedly the easiest with long flat highways, riders came in for a lot of surprises. 

Already surviving the half lanes of Panglao central road, the riders had to get past concrete reblocking activities in the not-a-year long Montaña Baclayon highway, the abandoned Tocdog Loay and Catugasan-Poblacion Lila sections on their way to Duero-Guindulman boundary and back for the 175.5 kilometers ride. 

Road bikes, especially those aerobikes, which uses sleek tires are so designed for flat roads and riding past highways with punched holes is bad for the tires as it is devastating to the expensive rims, a biker who asked not to be named, bewailed. 

The route even included two unfinished bridge sections that had several bikers untangling their cleats because if there were workers manning the traffic, drivers seldom consider sharing the road, he continued. 

Day three of Giro D'Luca took to Panglao-Dauis central road to Baclayon, up Payahan to Corella and then the Sikatuna section reblocking which accordingly had several bikers cursing. 

From Sikatuna, bikers went down to Loboc and climbed up to the manmade forest, to Bilar, Batuan and then left to Batuan-Hanopol via the unfinished Makapiko bridge, another off-saddle, off cleats section. 

From Makapiko, bikers took to Hanopol to Balilihan, Corella past Payahan Baclayon and then back to Dauis Panglao for the 139.9 kilometers day 3 ride. 

Beyond that, the people along the roads are friendly, some offering drinks or food, riders shared. 

Because Giro is not a race, riders can stop where they want, grab a camera and take photos of the scenes, talk to locals or snap shots with them, we had so much fun for the three days ride, another rider from Pampanga said. 

All in all, it was still a good ride, and we are looking forward to the 7th Giro, the complaining rider however assessed. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Road reblocking but are left unattended have caused fatal accidents, while several bikers joining the Giro D'Luca got frustrated of the road conditions even if organizers promised beautiful roads for long rides. (contributed photo)