Well, our first season of the XRC (Executive Road Cycling) series wrapped up, and boy, it was quite a year!
We kicked off
in February with a 2-day stage-type event, composed of a prologue and road race on day one, then a criterium on day two. As you may have noticed from the pics from the earlier post, the roads in Subic are excellent. The only downer was the heat, which caused a number of teams to rethink their support strategies for future legs. A couple of water bottles per rider proved insufficient. But all in all, the feedback from the riders was extremely positive. Which just boosted our confidence about choosing Subic as the venue for the fourth and last leg of the 2007 XRC series.
But, in May, the series visited the popular cycling roads north of Laguna Lake, with the course rolling from the town of Pililia to Bugarin. And this is where the climbers showed the way.By September, another record number of riders lined up for the 3rd leg in the former Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, now known as the Clark Freeport. Since the stages used a number of the roads popular for triathlons, we were happy to see a bigger group of triathletes joining the dedicated roadies for some wheel-to-wheel racing. Secretly, we were very encouraged by the triathletes' presence, since they are usually a picky bunch when it comes to the races they compete in.But the weather proved to be the spoiler, with monsoon-like conditions alternating with clear skies. This made the team time trial the next day a real lottery! It reminded me of Formula 1 qualifying in the rain, with the teams lucky enough to run during the sunny spells spanking the stronger teams who found themselves trying to ride through the downpours.
Then, before we knew it, December rolled around and the final leg proved to be a fitting climax. Back in Subic, the number of competitors soared past the 200 mark! A couple of new teams debuted and the criterium at the Subic International Raceway featured a few upsets and surprises!
It was a long year, full of challenges and lessons learned. But we proved we could raise the standard of non-professional cycling competition in the country. The smiles on the podium, the longer entry lists, the new teams and kind words from sponsors really made all the work worthwhile!
The first round of the 2007 Executive Road Cycling race series (XRC) was held in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. This former US Navy base is perfect for multi-sport events because the road network is extensive and very well maintained. And since traffic enforcement is top-notch, Subic is high on any cyclist's list for an ideal road race venue.As a newcomer to the road race organizing scene, our new outfit, Elite Multi-Sport Resources (EMR) was very fortunate that the executive cycling community was supportive and the majority of the teams were eager to experience a fresh set of events from a group that was keen to innovate and take non-professional cycling competitions to the next level in the Philippines.The 2-day Tour of Subic was the opening leg of XRC '07 and the morning of the first day was full of nervous excitement for us, the organizers, and the nearly 160 riders representing around 15 teams. The atmosphere was great. Riders arrived at the start, and as they unloaded their bikes, small groups formed as they greeted each other, teammates and rivals alike. Pleasantries exchanged, conversations turned to which riders would be tough to beat and who had the prettiest or fastest bikes for this race.But the highlight of the Subic leg was the road race over some of the nicest roads these riders have seen anywhere.
For the stronger Category A riders, the distance was 100km. For Cat. B and C riders, they had to complete around 60km and 30km, respectively.
In this morning's post, I talked about the growing group of fitness buffs who are taking their action outdoors. Lately, we've seen 5K and 10K Fun Runs getting popular, with entries numbering in the hundreds, and even thousands in some cases. Triathlons and road cycling are also getting to be popular among working professionals. Even adventure racing, trekking and mountaineering are gaining fans.And these people aren't all hardcore, diehard purists. They are lawyers, physicians, software developers, bankers, corporate-types and entreprenuers who just happen to enjoy being active outside of the gym. And some of them even go so far as to adopt strict training regimens and compete on a regular basis in their chosen disciplines. I like to call this group the Multi-Sport Tribe.This new Tribe is made up of both men and women who go to great lengths to perform well in all aspects of their already busy lives- they maintain a balance between their professional, family and athletic pursuits.For these multi-sport athletes, many of whom are in their 30s and 40s, with others pushing 50, competition is no longer about fame or fortune. They race to prove to themselves and their peers that they are far from becoming "washed-up" desk jockeys.A couple of friends and I had been observing this interesting trend for some time, and one day we decided that what the Tribe needed was a set of events, staged on a regular basis, professionally organized and run, and enjoying a healthy dose of media attention. And from that meeting of minds was born the Executive Road Cycling Race Series (XRC '07).
When I look around these days, I notice more and more people are taking their active pursuits outside. I see the numbers of runners, walkers and cyclists growing. Why is this so?My guess is all those people who joined gyms and health clubs in the last few years are getting bored with running and spinning inside artificially-lit, climate-controlled boxes. The few who have reached a certain fitness level are looking for a new benchmark, in a new environment. And the best place to take fitness to the next level is outside!
Well, here it is. My first (and probably only) attempt at blogging.Why "random rides"?As the subtitle suggests, this will be a compilation of experiences, thoughts, impressions, images and opinions on trips taken, contemplated or dreamt about with a two or four-wheeled conveyance. (Okay, so there are bound to be a few on foot too!) So expect posts on bike rides, bike races, bike events, mountain bikes, road bikes, cycling topics of interest (oh, did i mention i like bikes?), tours, bike advocacy, cycling for kids, multi-sport events and adventure racing.
As for the four-wheeled variety, you'll see posts about cars, SUVs, motorsports, new cars, old cars, cars I like, don't like, own or wish I owned. Road trips, places visited and favorite scenic drives.
So you get the picture.
Welcome. Roam around and enjoy your stay.
in February with a 2-day stage-type event, composed of a prologue and road race on day one, then a criterium on day two. As you may have noticed from the pics from the earlier post, the roads in Subic are excellent. The only downer was the heat, which caused a number of teams to rethink their support strategies for future legs. A couple of water bottles per rider proved insufficient. But all in all, the feedback from the riders was extremely positive. Which just boosted our confidence about choosing Subic as the venue for the fourth and last leg of the 2007 XRC series.
