Negros Oriental will host the 2nd leg of the national Enduro Pilipinas 4G race in March this year, the event to be held for the first time in the Province.
World-renowned champion biker Wendell “Wangyu” Barba, who hails from Dumaguete City, disclosed that he is at the local level coordinating the event, which will be participated in by 150 enduro racers from all over the country.
Enduro, a relatively new sport, is a form of mountain bike racing which has a number of timed downhill sections of trail, and a number of uphill transfer stages. It is a stage-race format where the biker who accumulates the lowest combined time on technically-demanding, generally- descending terrain wins.
Barba disclosed the Enduro Pilipinas is a year-round race in the country, with 10 events starting off with the first leg in Pangasinan.
The 2nd leg, scheduled on March 20, will be in Valencia town, Barba said.
Negros Oriental was chosen because most mountain bikers who have won in national events are from the Province, which has made many people curious as to how they win most races, Barba pointed out.
Also, Negros Oriental is a Province known for its beautiful mountains and trails, he added.
Barba said he hopes to find local sponsors to support the upcoming enduro race.
It will be a one day event with racers being timed from start to finish, including the climb up, with the one with the shortest time adjudged the champion, Barba explained.
The Dumaguete-based rider, who has won several biking events in the Philippines and in other countries, has highlighted the health benefits of biking for enthusiasts, saying this is the best exercise yet, next to swimming.
For the racers, he cautioned that for safety reasons, they should enroll in a class on fundamental riding tips.
Barba conducts clinics in Negros Oriental, with bikers from Manila coming over to train with him.
Enduro racing or mountain biking is not a sport for everybody though, he admitted.
A racer must have durable equipment, which he acknowledged to be quite expensive.
For this race alone, the cheapest mountain bike is pegged at P60,000, Barba said. (PNA)
