Boholano bikers shine in Nat’l

MTB XCO trials in Danao Cebu

CORTES, Bohol, June 18 (PIA) – A Boholano cyclist completed the 5.4 kilometer internationally rated bike course 41 seconds ahead of his closest rival to top the Youth category 13-14 in the Philcycling National mountainbike Trials in Danao City Cebu, June 12.

John Andry Labuga is among the three-man team which Sagbayan local government sponsored to the Cross Country Olympics and national downhill qualifiers.

The team is composed of United Sagbayan Cyclists (USC) big names Archie Viodor Enad and Nicole Joshua Gambe, who played in the 19-29 age category.

Labuga, who donned on the light-blue USC official jersey with race number 18 finished the three-lap race loop which feature grueling uphill and downhill switch backs that demand continuous spinning, in 24:21.

Sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international cycling governing body, the 2021 National Mountain Bike Cross Country Olympic and Down Hill Championships in Danao City set June 11-13, 2021 and August 27-29, 2021 respectively, was set as elite men and women cross country National Team qualifier for the South East Asia Games in Vietnam this December.

Set for elite men and women, juniors and youth national team qualifier, the Independence Day race in Sandayong Danao City, in Cebu, also opened for Age Category races, where Labuga was a competitor in the 13-14 years old.

Labuga came ahead by 41 seconds, of jersey #15 John Richmond de Guzman, 47 seconds ahead of third placer jersey #4 Luis Angelo Soriano, 1:14 seconds ahead of fourth placer with jersey #16 Joachin Dogelio and fifth placer with jersey #1 Alenjen Agbayani who finished 1:16 seconds later.

Labuga was among the 23 cross country cyclists, where 1 registered bike did not start the race.

Winning the race puts one youth cyclist in the scopes of the scouts for the national team members, for international youth cycling competitions.

Meanwhile, in the 19-29 age group category, another Boholano USC biker from Sagbayan finished sixth in a 5 lap 5 kilometer race course.

Archie Viodor Enad wearing jersey #6 of USC Sagbayan LGU Team finished the cramping prone race course in 1:02:33 seconds, some 4:41 seconds after the race champion # 32 Raymond Cloma who crossed the finish line on top of a steep graded climb 57:48.

Another Boholano who is now in Cebu, from FJB Bikehubs and Motorparts of Cebu and former Taga Bukid Cyclist and Dagohoy biker Victor Justol Biongcog wearing Jersey #19 finished tenth with a time of 1:05:44.

Finishing 12th in the race is yet another Boholano and a Paseo de Loon /AIWA racer from Garcia Hernandez, @John Mark Acman wearing Jersey #1, biking the loop five times at 1:06:17.

At 13th, jersey #25 Nicole Joshua Gambe finished the race at 1:06:22.

The next day, June 13, the races continue with Bohol elite riders Nicho Biol Lumay (Batuan), (Yuki Inting) York Ace Inting (Tagbilaran), Mark Lester Azarcon (Tagbilaran) pedaling and dancing their bikes in the muddy slippery single tracks complete with technical segments, to get to the athlete’s farm of the Philippine Team.

It was a tough day for Boholano bikers who struggled to keep their pedals spinning through treacherous downhill segments made even more risky with the mud, through over 20 switchbacks in a lap, plus technical sections that challenge those who profess they got iron legs and guts of steel.

Day two of the three day event found Boholano elite rider Nicho Biol Lumay (jersey #5) on the 20th place in the 18.8 kilometers race course after completing 6 laps.

Competing in the Men’s Elite category of the 2021 PhilCycling National Cross Country Olympics (XCO) along with 51 starters, Lumay is just lucky to finish the race strong, while 15 other riders who took the starting line did not or could not finish the race.

The 2021 National MTB Championships is a venue for the Philippine national cycling team to scout for brighter and younger prospects who could represent the country in international competitions.

Lumay, from Batuan and an official athlete from Bohol’s Paseo de Loon was alone struggling to squeeze through the pack in a mass start at the internationally rated race course in Sandayong Sur, Danao City, Cebu, June 13.

Other bike race participants came in teams, each one encouraging the partner to cling on and screening other competitors when the single track widens a bit in the switchbacks and provide chances for better jockeying positions by overtaking.

Without a team mate in a competition which includes the country’s best riders, Lumay could only keep up and pace through slippery downhill segments and seemingly endless climb sections of the race course that also included obstacles like the log jam, the Devils Drop and the Rock River.

In the Mens Junior category, Paseo de Loon riders York Ace Inting wearing jersey # 22 and Marc Lester Azarcon, in jersey # 34 were at the tail of the pack at the mass start.

The first 100 meters or more after the gun start demands full concentration and steady comical cadence when bikers shift to their 46 or 50 cogs to top the over 100 meters of climb in steep 20-30 percent gradient dirt road.

Before even clearing the dirt road where bikers squeezed through every small space, a bottleneck developed as the bikers swerved to single track which snakes to over 20 switchbacks, tricky descents and muddy trails.

After completing 4 laps and clocking 12.4 kilometers, Yuki Inting finished 24th, two laps behind the category winner, while @MarcLester Azarcon, his Paseo de Loon teammate came in 25th place.

The two Boholano Junior racers competed against 51 junior riders across the country: only 45 came to the starting line, 6 did not start and 15 did not finish the race for mechanical or physical issues. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

TEAM UNITED SAGBAYAN CYCLISTS proved the iron-legged training in Bohol bikers when they emerged on top of the race which included bikers from across the country. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)