GETAFE, Bohol, Oct. 19 (PIA) -- For the first time after the pandemic struck, cyclists from outside Bohol joined a locally organized mountain bike and road bike challenge, and brought home trophies and cash prizes as Bohol steps into the new normal.

Jessie “Dongkey” Sanchez and his son, Khalil, including some Cebuano cyclists, crossed over to Bohol to join the grueling road bike challenge billed as "Getafe: Padyak Kontra Pandemya" on Oct. 10.

The elder Sanchez took home two championship trophies and prize money, as he pocketed the 36 and above mountain bike category championship and the 36 and above road bike category, while Kahlil won the championship trophy for the mountain bike challenge for the 17 and below category.

Road bike challenge

Unlike other road bike races that allow the cyclists the luxury of the starting miles to get used to the easy spinning rhythm before slowly getting initiated into the hard climbs, Getafe’s Road Bike Challenge did not give that chance.

Let off in a mass start, 50 cyclists belonging to the 24 and below age brackets immediately picked a 32-kilometer per hour starting run, before breaking the group into three: the lead of about 6, the chase group of about 12 and the trailing pack, about two kilometers from the starting line.

In less that a kilometer of flat track, the course starts its low angle ascent with very few planes to recover, until at several sections, the climbs twist and turn into tight zigzags, forcing those with less energy to endure to shift to the low speed.

The race course is a national highway with light traffic, the cyclists picking on the rightmost lanes to sit or stand off the saddles and drops every now and then if only to sustain their speed.

At kilometer 6, a group of nine cyclists from the 24 to 35-year old category caught up with the trailing pack, the chasing peloton a couple of minutes ahead.

The route is a 56-kilometer stretch of highway with about 80% climbs and about 10% downhills, with dangerous curves posing a risk of overshooting to an over-speeding cyclist.

By kilometer 7, the 11 bikers of the 36 and above categories have caught up with the main group and had started challenging the head of the break away pack.

At the turnabout in Danao town, the downhill ride is interspaced with sudden twisting steep climbs including the over-a-kilometer ascent to the finish line from Canlinte creek.

After a grueling 56 kilometers of endless pedals, Eric Neil Amba (Talibon) first crossed the finish line to claim the championship for the 24 below category, followed by Loius Caberte (Tagbilaran) and Richie Enad (Sagbayan) for the bronze.

In the 25 to 35 age category, Paseo de Loon’s top card Nicho Biol Lumay (Batuan) claimed the top spot, followed by Jonathan Pagaura (Maribojoc) and Lance Clarete (Tagbilaran) for the bronze.

In the 36 and above, Sanchez won gold, while Julius Gonzaga (Tagbilaran) and Roget Torreon (Talibon) wont the bronze.

After the successful race, organizers told participants that they are planning for another race in January next year. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)