It really is about time I post something about the great folks at Motor Image Pilipinas, the distributors of Subaru cars here.
They've been our Official Vehicle Partner at the Executive Road Cycling (XRC) series since day one, and they have been ultra-supportive these past 2 years. So supportive in fact, that they provide the official pace car at every leg of the series.
The other (selfish) reason for this post is that this 2nd Leg of the 2008 XRC series, I get to drive the official Subaru Forester pace car during both the 80km road race and as observer during the 21km Individual Time Trial that we laid out for our friends in the executive teams. I'll fill you in on the experience in a future post.
As for the race itself, it was a great weekend of road racing again as 200 riders lined up on the first day for the loop from Tagaytay City down to Tuy, Batangas and back up to Tagaytay (an 80 kilometer stage) This particular loop was picked because we thought it would be nice to give the teams the chance to retrace the route used in the last South East Asian Games. This would be a climber's dream. Well, obviously not everyone in the peloton agreed with our choice of race route.
The morning start was greeted by excellent weather, clear skies and a cool breeze. But by mid-morning the temps had risen to more familiar levels above 30 degrees Celsius. Then this was punctuated by a quick downpour that drenched our Day 1 awarding ceremonies!The rain didn't seem to dampen spirits however, since we saw plenty of smiles the next day for the individual time trial (ITT) that would take riders up from the Tuy junction back up to the Batulao area, another uphill climb stretching about 20 kilometers.
With over 100 riders racing individually against the clock, the last of the riders crossed the finish line past noon. And, like clockwork, the clouds dumped a load of moisture on our awarding presentation. Funny how history seems to repeat itself!
Nevertheless, there's more and more of a feeling that we've got a good thing going here in the XRC. Healthy entry lists, close competition, a few more sponsors and strong local support can only encourage us to keep building this event into the premier non-professional cycling event in the Philippines.
