Accidents mar ‘best’ Cobra Ironman race

CEBU, Philippines - At least five incidents were recorded yesterday during the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines, which spans the cities of Lapu-Lapu in Mactan Island, Mandaue, Cebu, and Talisay yesterday morning.

Biker Samuel Wai from Hong Kong fell off his bike on the street in front of a public school in Barangay Mactan and suffered a collar bone injury after going down from Marcelo Fernan Bridge around 10:30 a.m.

Senior Superintendent Armando Radoc, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office office-in-charge, said the victim was quickly rushed to a private hospital in Cebu City.

“Na-affected ang iyahang collar bone,” he said of Wai.

Another biker suffered minor injuries after losing his balance while riding his bike down the second bridge connecting Mandaue City in the mainland and Lapu-Lapu City but managed to get up and continue the race.

The third incident involved a man who was reportedly walking at a pedestrian lane in Plaridel Street in Mandaue City after he got sideswiped by a biker around 9 a.m.

Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue Chief Glenn Antigua said the man suffered minor injuries.

At the Talisay City District Hospital, emergency room nurse Rare Banque said Japanese triathlete met an accident while cycling his way at the Talisay City area of the Cebu South Coastal Road.

Banque said the triathlete was alone when the accident happened. Ironman medics brought the Japanese national to the hospital after administering first aid.

He said, though, that the man’s injury was “nothing serious.”

Banque said a Bahrain triathlete was also brought to the hospital due to eye irritation.

The man, he said, was in the bicycle race when he complained of pain in the eye, which he blamed on the swimming event, which was the first challenge of the competition.

The patient was brought by Ironman personnel to the Cebu Doctors University Hospital for further treatment.

As to the traffic situation, Frank Brazil of the Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management Systems said there was no escaping the traffic jam due to the closure of several routes caused by the event.

“Even if they were aware nga makasinati ug traffic, ang atong gisiguro nga wala mabalda kanang padulong sa airport gyud kay mao man atong importante ana. So naay ginagmay (na problema) pero manageable ra,” he said.

Brazil said motorists using alternative roads in Sangi, Matumbo road, and Barangay Pajo helped as traffic flow was moving despite the heavy volume of vehicles.

Antigua, on the other hand, said motorists in Mandaue were diverted to M.C Briones Street.

All roads used during the competition were closed as early as 5:30 a.m. and were opened only at 12:40 p.m.

“Wala tay gipalusot, gi-block-kan man sad sa Plaridel. Nihangyo ang Mandaue kay maka-cause na og congestion,” Brazil said.

Antigua, however, said spectators who waited for celebrity athletes Piolo Pascual and Mateo Guidicelli to pass by them posed a challenge in terms of crowd control.

That is why, he said, organizers should consider using two lanes of U.N Avenue in Mandaue for the bike course because there is a greater risk of bikers crashing into each other, as only one lane was used by the bikers going to Cebu City and those already going back to Lapu-Lapu City.

Radoc and Brazil also said motorcycles with riding videographers trailing the athletes should be limited since they also pose security risk and even cause accidents within the race route.

“Gawas nga ma-inhale ang gadagan nga aso sa motor, ma-affected sab ang uban kay security-risk baya nang ingon aana. Mao bitaw akong giingnan ang uban nga next time, og kung mokuha man gani og footage, daganon nalang, dili kay magsakay og motor,” Radoc said.

Despite the accidents, however, Princess Galura, project director of Sunrise Events and one of the organizers, said the Ironman race was the best of the three years it was held here.

“Parang sabi nga ng lahat, it gets better. Salamat sa Cebu!” she said, adding that their challenge now is the competition even better than people would expect.

Department of Tourism-7 Director Rowena Montecillo said that it was an over-all success.

“It will be a challenge for us next year,” she said.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza agreed, telling reporters after the competition ended that the city would have its hand full to make the Asia-Pacific Cobra Ironman 70.3 more successful than ever before. — /RHM (FREEMAN)