Cobra Ironman gets going

PILI, CAMARINES SUR—With over 800 athletes from 34 different countries competing, the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines kicks off Sunday at the CamSur Watersports Complex here.   The race kicks off at 6 a.m., with defending champion Terrenzo Bozzone favored in a field that will cover a 2-km swim, a 90-km bike, and a 21-km run route.   To ensure a smooth conduct of the event, the national road from Del Rosario, Naga City to Palestina in Pili will be closed from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., according to an advisory from   Richard Rivera, general manager of the CWC.   Bozzone, from New Zealand, won last year’s race in 3 hours 51 minutes. Fellow Kiwi Cameron Brown, third last year, is also figured to finish strongly.   French-Canadian Magali Tisseyre, 28, is a hot favorite in the women’s division, having won three 70.3 races in the past five weeks.   She also placed third in the world championship in Clearwater, Florida, with a searing 21K run split  (1.20:32).   Michelle Jones, a resident of California and former winner of the Kona Ironman (2206), and 30-year-old Haley Cooper are expected to put pressure on Tisseyre.   Among the locals to watch out for are triathlon star Noy Jopson and Monica Torres.   Comeback queen Sandra Araullo is also expected to be a force to reckon with. LC Langit, who is coming off a training stint in New Zealand and Kona Ironman qualifier Ani de Leon are among the big local names in the field.   Celebrities are also entered in today’s event including actor Piolo Pascual. Timex has set aside a watch as a prize for anybody who can correctly predict the celebrity’s time.   Pascual will do the run leg of the Timex team that will participate in the triathlon relay.  His teammates are Jennifer Ty (swim) and Laurence Medenilla (bike).   The course promises to be just as brutal as last year with the initial swim leg testing the participants immediately.   One of the participants in the relay drowned last year and divers and lifeguards will be on standby for the swim leg this time.   The bike course will run through a deceptively flat course at the start, before the riders encounter strong head winds. Once the participants reach the run stage, they are expected to battle midmorning temperatures expected to hit 40 degrees celsius.   Fred Uytengsu, Alaska CEO and Ironman franchise owner said “I’m hoping people surpass their own expectations.”