Filipinos have the wheelpower to excel in cycling

Cycling is a sport where Filipinos can excel, even internationally! Skill is at a premium more than height, and with more competitions, our athletes can improve on their craft.
The Metro Race Collective, in partnership with Ortigas & Company, held the 1st annual Circulo Verde Chase Down — a fixed gear, eliminator-style criterium, which can only help increase awareness for the sport and entice more individuals to participate in cycling.

Attending the event were USAC sanctioned race director Ravi Rajcoomar and world-renowned cyclist Addison Zawada.

“I’m here to hang out and chill with everyone here in the Philippines. This is a really fun and enjoyable race for the crowd. It’s really spectator friendly,” said Zawada.

“This my first time here in Manila and it was great to see the level of competition. It was really, really high. Cycling can flourish here in the Philippines,” Rajcoomar chimed in.
The Fixed Geared Men’s race was the highlight of the event, which saw Ronnel Hualda take the victory in a dominating fashion. It proved to be the cyclist’s strongest showing, besting the field that included Philippine National Team (Go for Gold) member Jerry Roa Aquino.

The victory cemented Hualda’s place for the Red Bull Last Stand, which takes place later this year at the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

For the Red Bull Last Stand, the typical criterium race format got a Texas-style overhaul with the new Eliminator format. In this cutthroat setup, the rider who crosses the finish line last on each lap gets eliminated until there’s just one rider left to take their final celebration lap.

Other highlights included the Fixed Women (open), which saw a well-earned victory for Japo Parcero.

  “Well, I didn’t expect it because this is my first criterium race, but it feels awesome. It would be awesome for this becoming a regular event, to liven up the scene. It’s awesome Red Bull is doing this!” said Parcero.

The final results were: Men’s Fixed Race —  Ronnel Hualda, Jerry Roa Aquino, Agustin Querimit; Women’s Fixed Race — Japo Parcero, Gwyniever Fryce, Jannel Geremia; Women’s Geared Race — Mary Joyce Monton, Marianne Dacumos, Joyce Ann Monton; and Men’s Geared Race —Rodolfo Malangsa, Joshua Atienza, Jeffrey Monton.

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