HINDI na kailangan pang sumabak sa international event ng siklistang Pinoy para sa hinahangad na UCI points.

Nakataya ang karagdagang UCI points – kinakailangan para magkwalipika sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics – sa Pinoy riders sa pagsabak sa PRUride PH 2019 road race sa Mayo 24-26 sa Subic.

Romualdez, pinasalamatan tennis player na si Alex Eala

Sanctioned ng international cycling federation, ang karera ay itinuturing na uci 2.2 Stage Race. Susundan ito ng kompetitibong Masters Race, kasabay ang fun ride na Gran Fondo 30, 60 at 100 kilometers sa Mayo 26 sa Harbor Point Mall.

Ayon kay Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing, ilang foreign squad ang inaasahang lalahok sa karera na tiyak na magbibigya ng mabigat na hamon sa local riders.

Ilan sa kompormadong sasabak ang Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Sweden, South Africa, Brunei, Korea, Vietnam, at Uzbekistan.

 “We expect something like 13-14 international teams to compete. So we are quite excited about it,” pahayag ni Tumbaga sa kanyang pagbisita sa PSA Forum nitong Martes sa Amelie Hotel Manila.

“We’ll be exposed internationally. We are very confident that we are pushing ourselves to the limit, not only for the sake of staging it, but for our athletes so they can participate and compete, for them to have a better feel of how to compete internationally, and of course, to gain points,” aniya.

Nagpahayag naman ang Go For Gold at 7-11 squad laban sa foreign rivals.

“The goal I think early on is mas masaya kung maraming UCI events dito sa Pilipinas,” pahayag ni Go For Gold team manager Jeremy Go. “Hopefully we will have our best athletes gain valuable points for the country to get that elusive Olympic spot that we’re all aiming for.”

Kasama ring dumalo sa forum sina Go For Gold riders Ismael Grospe, Ronnel and Edz Hualda,  Marcelo Felipe, Philippine Navy’s Ronald Oranza, at PRUride Philippine Ambassadors Gretchen Ho at Zoren Legaspi.

Kapwa nagpahayag na kasiyahan sina Legaspi at Ho na lalahok sa gaganaping Criterium race – panimulang sultada ng karera – sa Abril 7 sa Filinvest City sa Alabang.

Bukas na ang pagpapatala sa Criterium event sa pruride.ph at hanggang Marso 31 ang huling araw ng pagpapalista.

“We are excited to kick off PRURide PH 2019 with Criterium, one of the most thrilling cycling events because of its intensity and popularity among the crowds. It sets the tone for the entire festival as a gathering of all kinds of cyclists and reinforces PRU Life UK’s commitment in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle through cycling,” sambit ni Tumbaga.