A BRAND new indoor velodrome now cast a shadow over a similarly International Cycling Union (UCI)-grade BMX track, but perched in the heart of several other sports facilities that mark Tagaytay City as a world-standard sports hub is a glimmering stainless steel 12-foot statue of National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal clad in fencing gear greeting everyone at the main entrance of the new City Hall. “It’s a tribute to our National Hero the sportsman, the athlete,” said Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the outgoing mayor who’s left a legacy not only as an excellent leader of the world-famous city but as the father of all Philippine sports. “We Filipinos know very well that Dr. Jose Rizal excelled in everything he engaged in and in sports, he was a fencer par excellance, a sharp shooter and if there were titles during his time, a grandmaster of ahedres—chess,” added Tolentino, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee and PhilCycling. A string of celebratory events marked the introduction of Dr. Rizal the fencer at City Hall—inauguration of the 250-meter wooden Tagaytay City Velodrome that helped highlight blessing ceremonies for more than a dozen brand new facilities including the modern-designed City Hall along Isaac Tolentino Avenue. Tolentino brought members of the POC Executive Committee—onboard the city’s e-trikes—after their meeting at Papa Bolo Brewery and Restaurant before heading to the velodrome where close to 2,000 athletes, sports officials and Tagaytay City crowd witnessed the inauguration of the first of its kind—and one of a few in the Asean region—cycling facility. On hand to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Tolentino and Cavite’s first woman governor, Athena Tolentino, was Asian Cycling Confederation president Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill as well as Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo, Tagaytay City Vice Mayor Agnes Tolentino and Cavite Eighth District Rep. Aniela Tolentino.  Double Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Carlos Yulo and fellow medalist boxer Nesthy Petecio graced the event with POC officials and national sports association leaders.

VETERANS Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado get the honor to formally be the first to ride the Tagaytay City Velodrome as Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and PhilCycling president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino inaugurates the brand new indoor cycling facility on Monday (June 23). Oranza and Prado, both multiple medal winners in international competitions, will circle the 250-meter indoor and International Cycling Union-standard velodrome waving both the Philippine and PhilCycling flags during the ceremony that highlights the joint celebration of the Olympic and World Bicycle Day and Tagaytay City’s 87th Charter Day. “This is to formally and officially announce the formal opening of the Tagaytay City Velodrome, the first of its kind in the country and one that’s of UCI standard,” said Tolentino, also the mayor of Tagaytay City which also has competition- and international-standard facilities for BMX Racing and Freestyle, Skateboarding and combat sports. The celebration will be staged amid the postponement of the Baguio City-Tagaytay City PhilCycling Classic—a 292-km endurance road race among the top 30 finishers in last summer’s Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival—that was supposed to start at Camp John Hay and finish in front of the velodrome also on Monday. The Baguio City-Tagaytay City PhilCycling Classic was moved to November 11 this year. The weather has become unpredictable with scattered thunder storms and monsoon rains prevailing and with the Metro Pacific Tollsways Corp. expected to do unscheduled repairs in some sections of the North Luzon Expressway, the endurance classic had to be postponed. San Miguel Corp. Infrastructure—operator of the TPLEX, Skyway and SLEX—has earlier welcomed the race on its expressways. Come November 11, Tolentino said the rescheduled Baguio City-Tagaytay City PhilCycling Classic will highlight the Send Off and Pep Rally for Team Philippines to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. “We are setting the pace for a renaissance in Philippine cycling in track discipline and we’ll be marking our cyclists’ return to the velodrome in the SEA Games,” said Tolentino, who entered an entry in each of the men’s and women’s omnium in Thailand. Also on Monday, the POC will oversee the signing of contracts for the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship and Grants Program with nine athletes signing up for training scholarships for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and 12 more for the Support Grant for Continental Athletes.  The Philippines last won two gold medals on the track in the SEA Games’ 2007 edition in Nakhon Ratchasima—Victor Espiritu in points race and Alfie Catalan in individual pursuit.

A HISTORIC Baguio City to Tagaytay road classic, formal inauguration of the country’s first indoor velodrome and signing of pledges by Olympic Solidarity scholars mark the combined celebration of the Olympic Day and World Bicycle Day on Monday (June 23) in Tagaytay City. “This is a historic first not only for the Olympic Movement but also for Philippine cycling,” said Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and PhilCycling and mayor of Tagaytay City, which is also celebrating on June 21 its 87th charter day. First, according to Tolentino, is the breakthrough classic—one-day road race—from Camp John Hay in Baguio City to the finish line in front of the brand-new Tagaytay City Velodrome along Crisanto de los Reyes Avenue. Second, the new track facility—an International Cycling Union (UCI)-standard 250-meter indoor and wooden velodrome—will be formally inaugurated and opened, and third, Olympic Solidarity scholars in various sports will sign their contracts under the guidance of the POC all in one day. “It’s a celebration and perhaps, it’s the most unique in the world,” Tolentino said. The Baguio-Tagaytay classic of the PhilCycling will cover a total of 288 kms and will pass through the major expressways—TPLEX, SCTEX, NLEX, Slyway, SLEX and CALLAX—feauturing the top 30 finishers in the MPTC Tour of Luzon last summer. “It’s all about speed and endurance,” said Tolentino, as he thanked the collaboration of sports patrons and business tycoons Manuel V. Pangilinan and Ramon S. Ang and the MPTC, San Miguel Corp. Infrastructure, Camp John Hay and Duckworld PH for the milestone classic. The Tagaytay City Velodrome, according to Tolentino, will mark the resurgence of Philippine track cycling—a cycling disciplie that offers the most number of gold medals at 10 events for men and women. “We have confirmed our participation in the track events of cycling at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December,” Tolentino said. “This is to get the wheels rolling for the new velodrome which we anticipate to be one of the velodrome hubs in Asia.”  The PhilCyclign will field men and women riders to the omnium event in the 33rd edition of the SEA Games Thailand is hosting in December.

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee and cycling federation president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino inspects two bikes of the Thailand cycling association headed by General Decha Hemkasri.

Aira Villegas (left), Fr. Eugenio Lopez, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Carlos Yulo, and Nesthy Petecio

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (third from left) with (from left) coaches Jessica Pfister and Miguel Gutierrez,, Marc Pfister, Enrico Pfister, Christian Haller and Curling Pilipinas playing president Benjo Delarmente.

Philippine men’s curling team celebrates after winning historic first ever Southeast Asia’s gold medal in winter games.

David Lappartient (left) and Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino (right)

Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino