SANDUGO TIGI STREAM

Bohol bike race hub

for road tri, enduro

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Bohol terrain became a hardcore haven for bikers from across the country and the globe last Sunday, when professional and amateur triathletes took to the paved roads of Panglao, while rampage-rated enduro icons from the country used the technical descents of Anda as their pinch of salt, July 13, Sunday in time for the Sandugo Festival.

While Sunrise Events came home to Bohol for its annual Sun Life Sandugo Ironman 5150 pitting elite local and international swim-bike-run athletes in lycra spandex suits against each other in the 1.5 kilometer swim, 40 kilometer biker and 10 kilometer run, Bohol Enduro United, Anda Enduro Bikers and the municipal government of Anda Bohol came out with a line for downhill dare-devils streaking the trails impassable and nearly impossible for the streamlined lean triathletes to ride.

The 3rd Anda Enduro Race 2025 is a three-stage race where each stage is composed of about 2-kilometer distance of technical winding downhill sections with visibility only a few meters ahead, shared Julius Ungay, AEB member and race organizer.

Each stage comes complete with jump ramps and natural berms, off–camber single trails, with heaps of rock and roots for the bikes to rip through and slippery rutted lines that would have sent shivers to slick tyre riders in aerodynamic speed racers.

This however is nothing but an adrenaline dose to full faced enduro downhill ogres in loosely flapping jersey, bike shorts or with elbow and knee pads that would have been useless in a crash with the heavier yet sturdier bike rigs.

In Panglao, when the strictly organized event took the provincial government along with LGU Panglao to send in a manpower of over 300 to man the incident command center and the roadside security, it was rather loose in Anda when the trails offer only a nasty crash: a cracked rib or bruised ego where the only biker’s wish was for no photographer to document the fall.

And while Panglao’s Sandugo Ironman 5150 boasts of 554 athletes taking the standard distance race and a little over 300 amateur athletes in the Sunrise Sprint distance in their expensive carbon fiber bikes, Anda’s downhill challenge, notably one not for the weak-hearted attracted about 130 rampagers with full suspension or hardtail bike rigs that can easily ring a price north of P300,000.

Sun Life Sandugo Ironman 5150 this year has SEA Games Gold Medalist and Cebuano Matthew Justine Hermosa sidling out former Irenold Reig Jr., to second, claiming the title as over-all champion finishing the entire race in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of Reig who clocked in at 2 hours, five minutes and 20 seconds.

In the women’s category, Cebuana Karen Manayon broke the tape at 2 hours , 27 minutes and 39 seconds with Bea Marie Quiambao second with 2 hours, 31 minutes and 7 seconds later.

Homegrown Boholano Tri Group TriBohol came in with their best group finish at bronze for tri-teams this year.

In Anda, the over a hundred riders was led by two time Philippine Enduro National Champion Gabriel Amigo, a renowned endure rider from Bislig Surigao literally zipped through the natural obstacles in 12 minutes, 50 seconds to become the champion in this year’s hardcore open elite downhill race.

Simon Servillon, Singapore Open Enduro Champion clocked in ten seconds slower to claim second and Alden Comeros, UCI world ranked endure cyclist came in third at 13 minutes, 13 seconds, to the disbelief of Anda residents who came out to watch the hair raising downhill rampage.

In the 19 and below category, Boholano rider Kyn Pondoc finished fifth, while in the 20-29 age category, Boholano rider Altaire Arcay took the top podium with 14:37 seconds.

In the 30-39 age group, Stephen Louie Bajuyo claimed top podium at 14:59 while Wendell Barba picked the top seat in the 40-49 age bracket.

In the 50 and above, Bholano rider Bert Aguilar settled for the silver as Jovi Noel finished in 17:53.

In the women’s category, Alexa Barba finished in 17:32 to claim gold while in the ebike category, Adelino Buligan ripped the stages in 16:51.

And while there were no serious injuries as men taunted accidents in the cracking downhill course, Ironman in Panglao claimed bike crashes, caused by stray animals.

And while Ironman ends with a race-cation ans dipping in the balmy waters of the posh Bellevue Hotel in Doljo Panglao, Anda’s endure bikers took to the Quinale Public Beach for a dip to calm their nerves back to sanity.

This is part of our efforts to bring out to the world Anda, this gorgeous side of Bohol to international and domestic tourists, and if they think it is all about the beaches, all they have to do is ask the elite enduro riders how our bike trails rate, Anda Mayor Angelina Simacio once said. (PIABohol)

MAKING FUN FUNNIER. Road bike racing is fun despite the pain. And so is downhill enduro. For both bike disciplines, enthusiasts find their own niches in Bohol, where every race pain ends with a dip in the balmy sea. Cycling has become Bohol’s leading sports tourism come-ons, and towns are scrambling to cash on it. (PIABohol/SunLife/SikwatePhotos)