Where cyclists meet and compete

MANILA, Philippines - There’s something to be said about a place where cyclists meet, for both friendly and serious competition. For eight years now, Ayala Land’s Nuvali in Laguna has played host to the Dirt Weekend Bike Festival, an annual mountain biking event where both professionals as well as enthusiasts gather. On Nov. 11 and 12, it will host Asia’s qualifying leg for the 2017 Cross Country Marathon World Championship, which will be held in Germany next year

 “Nuvali is known as a popular destination for mountain bikers, with its natural trails and dedicated lanes that encourage biking as a sport as well as a mode of  transportation,” says Nuvali general manager, John Estacio. “We would like to take this a step further and serve as a venue for world-class competitions in order to recognize local talents as well as give our athletes a chance to compete globally.”

“There were only 500 participants when we started in 2009. This year, we are expecting about 2,000,” Estacio says. “The level of competition has improved through the years.” Once again, this year, Nuvali partnered with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body on sports cycling events. The world championship qualifying race is part of the UCI World Marathon Series, which will allow the top 40 riders to score points for their UCI Mountain Bike (MTB) Marathon Series ranking. The qualifying race is open to all from age 19 and above. International participants are also expected, including riders from Japan and Portugal.

 In addition to  the 2017 Cross Country Marathon World Championship Qualifier, which is the main event, there is also Nuvali’s signature event, the 35-kilometer Dirt  Weekend Cross Country Fun Race which features two age categories-- from 15-19 years old and 50 years old and above for the Masters Category. There is a special category for “fat bikes” or mountain bikes equipped with oversized tires. The fun riders will tackle the same courses alongside professional elite riders.

 “Partnering with Nuvali for this prestigious event is a dream come true for us,” says Athena Mendoza, Dirt Weekend committee head. “It has brought the competition to a higher level and exposed our local athletes to international standards

Dirt weekend is a pioneer in bringing world-class formats to the country. In 2012, it hosted the first Enduro Race, a highly technical downhill event. In 2013, Dirt Weekend presented the first Philippine Mountain Biking (MTB) National Championship and the first Philippine MTB Marathon National Championship, both sanctioned by the UCI. The two events alone drew over 2,000 riders to Nuvali.

Last year, the Cross Country Marathon World Championship Qualifier was introduced, with a 70-kilometer race which attracted athletes from different parts of the world. A new and longer 90-kilometer route was designed to challenge both local and international  participants in this year’s race.

 “If you are an athlete, it gives you a sense of accomplishment,” Mendoza says. “You are racing not against the others but against yourself. It is a test of your mental capacity and physical ability to maintain your strength and endurance all throughout the race.” 

 “Mountain biking and the balanced lifestyle we promote here in Nuvali naturally go together,” Estacio says. “We want people to be more environmentally aware and socially conscious. People from all walks of life, from all social classes get together here and build a community that understand each other.”

The Nuvali Dirt Weekend will be held from Nov. 11 to 12. Register online at  http://nuvali.ph/dirtweekend2016/ or http://m.nuvali.ph/dirtweekend2016/ for mobile devices.