ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 08 Jul) Some 100 cyclists joined a grueling 95-kilometer mountain race Saturday from the outskirts of Zamboanga Sibugay province to Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.
Called the Tour de Fabian, the bikers, some as far as Cebu province in the central Philippines, raced from a dirt road in the remote Licomo village down to highway in Zamboanga City as hundreds of spectators lined up to cheer the athletes. "It was really a grueling race and we hope to see them race again," Arvin Santi, a cyclist, told the Zamboanga Journal.
Security was also tight on the highway during the 4-hour race. Policemen and soldiers were spotted guarding the stretch from Licomo village to the finish line in Zamboanga City . Dozens of paramedics, backed by a convoy of vehicles and ambulances, trailed the cyclists up to the finish line.
Influenced by the world's most high profile and difficult bicycle race, the Tour de France (French for "Tour of France"), organizers said they hope to attract more cyclists probably next year for the second competition.
The Tour de France often referred to as La Grande Boucle, Le Tour or The Tour, is comprised of about 20 professional teams of nine riders per team. The competitors race a collective distance of approximately 3,600 km traveling through France, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Spain.
It is the most famous and prestigious road bicycle race held annually since 1903 and the winner is the individual rider who finishes the course of the race in the least accumulated time.
But unlike the Tour de France, the local race based its winners on the team that finishes first the course of the race.
The most prestigious and biggest bicycle race in the country was the Tour Pilipinas. It began as the Tour of Luzon in 1955 and evolved into the Marlboro Tour, but was scrapped in 1999 when sponsors could no longer support the race.
Called the Tour de Fabian, the bikers, some as far as Cebu province in the central Philippines, raced from a dirt road in the remote Licomo village down to highway in Zamboanga City as hundreds of spectators lined up to cheer the athletes. "It was really a grueling race and we hope to see them race again," Arvin Santi, a cyclist, told the Zamboanga Journal.
Security was also tight on the highway during the 4-hour race. Policemen and soldiers were spotted guarding the stretch from Licomo village to the finish line in Zamboanga City . Dozens of paramedics, backed by a convoy of vehicles and ambulances, trailed the cyclists up to the finish line.
Influenced by the world's most high profile and difficult bicycle race, the Tour de France (French for "Tour of France"), organizers said they hope to attract more cyclists probably next year for the second competition.
The Tour de France often referred to as La Grande Boucle, Le Tour or The Tour, is comprised of about 20 professional teams of nine riders per team. The competitors race a collective distance of approximately 3,600 km traveling through France, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Spain.
It is the most famous and prestigious road bicycle race held annually since 1903 and the winner is the individual rider who finishes the course of the race in the least accumulated time.
But unlike the Tour de France, the local race based its winners on the team that finishes first the course of the race.
The most prestigious and biggest bicycle race in the country was the Tour Pilipinas. It began as the Tour of Luzon in 1955 and evolved into the Marlboro Tour, but was scrapped in 1999 when sponsors could no longer support the race.
It was again revived in 2002, but the race was not as huge as the Tour Pilipinas and competition was only around Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces collectively known as the Calabarzon.
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