SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — More than 1,000 cyclists and bike aficionados from 13 countries around the globe will compete in this year’s edition of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF), a three-day cycling event that will flag off in this free port today.
The 2009 TLBF, which is touted to be the biggest and most challenging in this cycling series that started in 2002, has become the most awaited cycling competition in the country because of the various bicycle races, demonstrations, and exhibits to be featured, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza.
“Again, this puts Subic in the map of sports tourism because the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival has also made a name in other countries,” Arreza said.
“In fact, this event will be featured in the Dirt Rag magazine, one of the most popular US-based cycling magazines, which has made the 2009 TLBF a part of their Dirt Rag World Tour,” Arreza added.
Festival director Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal said the bike festival has “gotten a lot of interest from cyclists all over the Philippines — from as far up north as Ilocos, and from as far down south as General Santos City.”
He added that participants will also come from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and the United Kingdom..
The three-day cycling activity will include race events for Mountain Bikes X-Country, Single Speed X-Country, Downhill Competition, 4X/Mountain Cross Challenge, Dirt Jumping and Trials Competition.
In the Road Bike event, the three-day, four-stage road race, “Tour de Larrazabal,” is expected to provide extra challenge to corporate professionals and executives, while the BMX races will feature the Super Cross Championships and the Dirt Jumping Competition.
The festival will also feature an Olympic/standard distance triathlon (40-km bike/10-km run/1.5-km swim), the FilBike- Bicycle and Outdoor Exposition, and Demo Day.
Larrazabal, who started the bike festival in honor of his father Terry, said that all have been put into place for the biggest bike event in the country.
“We also have invited four world-renowned biking personalities as resource persons to discuss important issues during the forum to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center,” he said.
The festival guests include Hans Rey, of “Wheels 4 Life”, a non-profit foundation that has been assisting the less privileged in acquiring a bike; Brian Lopes, described as the most complete rider in the cycling industry, who will speak on “How to compete in the World Cup”; Jeff Jones, a legend in the cycling industry in terms of cutting edge design of bicycle frame and rigid forks, who will tackle “The Philosophy of designing a Jones bike”; and Jay MacNeil, the chief operating officer of Banshee Bikes, one of the world’s leaders in full suspension bikes, who will cover “Bicycle Suspension 101.”
Larrazabal added that aside from fireworks displays, street party, free riding clinics and seminars at the SBECC, organizers have also decided to put up a photo contest to capture the spirit of the 2009 TLBF.
He said that to qualify, pictures (digital or analog) must be taken during the 2009 Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival and should consist of a minimum of 10 pictures per entry.
Deadline for submission of entries will be on April 30, 2009. All entries have to be submitted to: Atty. Gregorio Y. Larrazabal, Bike Town Cyclery, 2240 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1200.
Prizes at stake are P5,000 for the first place, P3,000 for second place, and P2,000 for third place. Winners will be announced on May 15, 2009 through the blog of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival, terrylarrazabal bikefestival.blogpost.com.
The 2009 TLBF, which is touted to be the biggest and most challenging in this cycling series that started in 2002, has become the most awaited cycling competition in the country because of the various bicycle races, demonstrations, and exhibits to be featured, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza.
“Again, this puts Subic in the map of sports tourism because the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival has also made a name in other countries,” Arreza said.
“In fact, this event will be featured in the Dirt Rag magazine, one of the most popular US-based cycling magazines, which has made the 2009 TLBF a part of their Dirt Rag World Tour,” Arreza added.
Festival director Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal said the bike festival has “gotten a lot of interest from cyclists all over the Philippines — from as far up north as Ilocos, and from as far down south as General Santos City.”
He added that participants will also come from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and the United Kingdom..
The three-day cycling activity will include race events for Mountain Bikes X-Country, Single Speed X-Country, Downhill Competition, 4X/Mountain Cross Challenge, Dirt Jumping and Trials Competition.
In the Road Bike event, the three-day, four-stage road race, “Tour de Larrazabal,” is expected to provide extra challenge to corporate professionals and executives, while the BMX races will feature the Super Cross Championships and the Dirt Jumping Competition.
The festival will also feature an Olympic/standard distance triathlon (40-km bike/10-km run/1.5-km swim), the FilBike- Bicycle and Outdoor Exposition, and Demo Day.
Larrazabal, who started the bike festival in honor of his father Terry, said that all have been put into place for the biggest bike event in the country.
“We also have invited four world-renowned biking personalities as resource persons to discuss important issues during the forum to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center,” he said.
The festival guests include Hans Rey, of “Wheels 4 Life”, a non-profit foundation that has been assisting the less privileged in acquiring a bike; Brian Lopes, described as the most complete rider in the cycling industry, who will speak on “How to compete in the World Cup”; Jeff Jones, a legend in the cycling industry in terms of cutting edge design of bicycle frame and rigid forks, who will tackle “The Philosophy of designing a Jones bike”; and Jay MacNeil, the chief operating officer of Banshee Bikes, one of the world’s leaders in full suspension bikes, who will cover “Bicycle Suspension 101.”
Larrazabal added that aside from fireworks displays, street party, free riding clinics and seminars at the SBECC, organizers have also decided to put up a photo contest to capture the spirit of the 2009 TLBF.
He said that to qualify, pictures (digital or analog) must be taken during the 2009 Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival and should consist of a minimum of 10 pictures per entry.
Deadline for submission of entries will be on April 30, 2009. All entries have to be submitted to: Atty. Gregorio Y. Larrazabal, Bike Town Cyclery, 2240 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1200.
Prizes at stake are P5,000 for the first place, P3,000 for second place, and P2,000 for third place. Winners will be announced on May 15, 2009 through the blog of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival, terrylarrazabal bikefestival.blogpost.com.
