PRUride PH cycling event unfolds in January

Officials from Pru Life UK and PhilCycling team up for PRUride PH 2018. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson/ INQUIRER.net

Reeling off from the success of its cycling event in England, British life insurer Pru Life UK is seeking to replicate that success here in the Philippines as it is set to stage one of the biggest cycling events in the country to open the new year.

PRUride PH 2018 gathers some of the best cyclists from the nation and across Southeast Asia as it targets 5,000 participants, both professional and amateurs, in its two competition legs.

“We were inspired by the positive turnout in London and we are making it bigger and grander than 2016,” said Allan Tumbaga, Pru Like UK senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “More than a gathering of the country’s most passionate cyclists, PRUride PH 2018 continues our company’s commitment to promote responsible and safe cycling.”

PRUride PH 2018 will run from January 11 to 14 next year at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and on January 21 at McKinley West in Taguig.

It’s a Union Cycliste International (UCI)-accredited class B event sanctioned by the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling).

The first leg will see the participants traverse the picturesque landscapes of Central Luzon starting from Subic and ending in Bataan. Meanwhile, the second leg will be a repeat of the 2016 Criterium races in Taguig.

As much as 36 racing activities are scheduled for the event, with seasoned cyclists Marella Salamat and George Oconer expected to figure at the PRUride Professional Road Race, a 160-kilometer course which will end at the historic Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan.

The event will also see a Philippine version of the Brompton Challenge, where pedal-pushers will be racing at their formal tops, this time in barong tagalog or Filipiniana attires.

A cash prize of P50,000 awaits the winners of all Elite professional categories for both male and female participants, while six all-expense paid trips to London are expected to be given off. Two will be given to the winners of the Professional Road Race in Subic, another pair to the victors of the Elite Criterium in McKinley West, and the last two being raffled off during the Bike Community Days.