National Open Cycling gets under way at Amoranto Velodrome

It will be a cycling fiesta for six days when the 2010 National Open Cycling Championships start Monday at 9 a.m. with the track events at the Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City. Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines president Dr. Philip Ella Juico said that the objective is to give the cyclists a venue to develop their skills, to discover new talents, and to inspire other sports associations as well. "There was a time during the glory years of Philippine sports that practically all the national sports associations had their own National Opens. I hope our modest holding of our own National Open will inspire them to do the same," said Juico, a former Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and at one time the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform under then President Corazon Aquino. Heads of national sports associations, together with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr, and PSC Chairman Ritchie Garcia, among others, were invited to grace the opening of the National Open, which is making a return after an absence of 25 years. All the participants will be billeted at the historic "Samar House" along Samar Avenue, one of the election campaign headquarters of then presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino. The Samar House is owned by New San Jose Builders, one of the backers of the National Open. The National Open will be spiced up by the New San Jose Builders-Photo and Sportswriting Contest offering P15,000, P10,000 and P5,000 for the first, second and third placers, respectively. Editors of the winning photographers will receive the same prizes. The cycling fiesta begins with the track events at the Velodrome in the first two days, before the mountain bike events on Wednesday, Dec. 8, are held at Timberland Heights, San Mateo, Rizal. It comes back to the Velodrome on Thursday, Dec. 9 with the finals of all the track disciplines, before the Individual Time Trials are held in Jala Jala on Friday, Dec. 10. The championships will conclude on Saturday, Dec. 11 with a 165-km Road Race from Quezon City to Laguna and back, with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista firing the starting gun. Clubs that are taking part in the bikefest are LPGMA-Paranaque, 7-11 Roadbike Philippines, Subic-Olongapo, Cagayan–Tuguegarao, Cavite, Antipolo, District 1 and 2-Quezon City, Fairview-Neopolitan, Taguig, Malabon, Philippine Air Force, Valenzuela, Clark Air Base, Makati, David Salon, All Terra MTB, Roosevelt, Las Piñas and Bulacan. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV