200 cyclists vie in Bike King Classic

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-one teams comprising 200 riders are taking part in the first leg of the 2011 Bike King Cycling Classic firing off Saturday at the Subic Bay Freeport.

LPGMA-American Vinyl, 7-11 and David’s Salon, which are regular fixtures in cycling events, lead the roster in the one-day event held in cooperation with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) with Subic Holiday Villas as official hotel.

Yellow Cab, Aboitiz Power, Franzia Wine, Heritage Park, MJY Bike Zone, BVTC JAC Motors, JGMCA, Mossimo, Normin Triminda, Pair Cargo, Quest 825, Sevenlakes, Suunto, TNCC, Von Dutch-Bont, Mileage Gasoline Station, Fitness First and Bike King complete the field vying for top honors in three divisions – men’s 70-kilometer Category 3 and 4 and women’s 30-kilometer Points Race.

Cyclists in the Category 4 are for beginners and the division attracted the most number of participants with 144 riders. Category 3 or cyclists who have seen action in past cycling events has 46 entries while 10 female riders are also joining the race backed by Unilab Active Health, Pocari Sweat, Crystal Clear Water, Orbea Bicycles, Corratec Bicycles, Corima Racing Wheels, Knog, Polar Insulated Bottles and Weekend Warriors.

“This is the first of three legs to be held this year and we plan to add two more categories in our next races so everyone gets to race against riders that are of the same ability, both in strength and riding skills, to produce balanced and exciting competition,” said race organizer Cuevas, also the CEO of Bike King and director of TRAP.

The second leg is slated July 1-3 billed as Tour of Subic while the final leg will be the Bike United Tour of Matabungkay set Oct. 21-23.

The MyLaps Pro Timing System is the official timer in the race that has Summit Media, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Runner’s World and The Philippine STAR as media partners.

Competition starts at 9 a.m. at the Subic Holiday Villas with the men’s Category 3 the first to see action before riders in Category 4 and women’s cyclists strut their wares next after a five-minute interval.

The top three finishers in all categories will receive trophies while the fastest rider in the Category 3 and 4 will bag the Sprint King title.

Participants will be provided with timing chip which they have to surrender to the organizers after the race, post race snack, Pocari Sweat and Unilab Gift Pack.

For details, email to [email protected]or contact 856-3362.