The Enduro Pilipinas 2015 Season finale took place in Tacurong City and concluded it’s 3rd season with another epic race leaving racers happy heading into the offseason!
Where is that?
When I told my daughters I will be flying to Tacurong City, the reply was “where is Tacurong?”. Indeed, where is Tacurong City? For a Mindanao-flying virgin like me, I was intent on gobbling up any information I can find about this city, with a reputation for gnarly trails, hardcore riders and friendly people. Fortunately, my online wandering landed me spot on at tacurongcity.net. From there, I came to know that Tacurong City is the center of commerce in Sultan Kudarat province in Mindanao aside from being the melting pot of people from Gen. Santos, Davao and Zamboanga. The city prides itself with the Baras Bird Sanctuary, a temporary abode for migratory birds from all over the world. This gem of a city will become the location of the Season 3 finale of Enduro Pilipinas, a doubly special event marking the closing of the season as well as the 2nd ‘warm-up race’ for the upcoming Asian Enduro Series. The two-day gruelling finale was held on December 5-6th amidst the scorching heat in the middle of Talambungan Mountains of Tacurong City.
Enduro Transforms
I finally set my foot in the land of Mindanao on December 3. We arrived at General Santos International Airport, Thursday morning. The moment we step out of the airport, we were greeted by the piercing heat outside, GenSan must be the hottest place, I’ve been to, in the Philippines. We have to travel two more hours to reach Tacurong City. Thankfully, we were fetched by Mr. Jorge Bayya & Mr. Ricardo Olofernes both from Team FACE of Enduro Tacurong. Long ride calls for a long talk. I got to know Mr. Bayya, 48 years old, a self-confessed workaholic and an anti-social guy, whose life has been changed by enduro. He was physically sick, having family problems when he was introduced to enduro by his cousin, Dr. Milton Macanas. To cut the story, he is now healthier, he even quit smoking, has become more sociable, repaired his relationship with his family and has transformed into a happier man. He was lost and found himself through enduro. He says enduro for him is a way of life, I couldn’t agree more.
Pre-Event
December 4, Friday – Race Briefing . The race briefing was held at the Tacurong City Hall grounds. Riders were high with anticipation and curiosity as they have been informed that the race will use the Sportident Timing System, an advanced, next generation timing system for extreme sporting events. With the desire of Enduro Pilipinas to bring racing to the next level and, also, in preparation for the upcoming Asian Enduro, it deployed this new breed of lightweight, live and accurate sports timing system to the delight of the race participants. It is worth mentioning that this technology is historic in the sense that it will be the first time in the Philippines and in Enduro Pilipinas that we will be using this timing system, which is also being utilized in the pinnacle of enduro racing in the world – the Enduro World Series. Finally, the timing system was explained, the rules were laid, the schedule and track location was given and the transponder was issued to each rider.
Race Day 1
December 5, Saturday – Day One SS1 was almost five kilometers of flowy, winding single tracks with steep descents and switchbacks. There was a short pedalling section as you climb back up the hill for the final descent towards a creek. After SS1, a shuttle transported the riders to the start of SS2. Special Stage 2 took the difficulty level a notch higher as it includes many steep and slippery sections. The trail was about six kilometers of single tracks and it ended in a creek at Tacuba. Riders were again shuttled to the start of Special Stage 3. SS3 was short and sweet, so to speak. It consisted of really technical trails with lots of rain ruts and deep gutters. A number of riders encountered mechanical failures in this stage costing them precious time that reflected greatly in the final race results. Capping the end of day one was special stage 4, which consisted of eight kilometers of lung-busting trail that started with a wide fire road descending to a flowy single track spider trail which then connects to a trail underneath palm fronds. This stage requires stamina and tests the pedalling power of each rider, truly underscoring the reputation of enduro racing as the MMA of mountain biking. Day one of this epic race was done at 5:00 PM and the riders then proceeded to the Tacurong City Hall grounds to submit their respective transponders containing the data of their time for every special stage. It took only a few clicks for the results to be projected on the big screen in the middle of the stage at the Tacurong City Hall grounds. The Sportident timing system worked its charm, sending the riders and spectators alike in awe by how fast the result came out. The day ended with the riders informed of their ranking.
Day 2
December 6, Sunday. Day Two Special stage 5 was the most technical stage. It started on a ridge high up on the hill overlooking the four kilometers of descending, twisting trail with lots of steep sections and unexpected drops. It was indeed a tough trail to tackle. Special stage 6 was the second stage for day two. It started as a flat pedalling section where riders had the chance to sprint before hitting the technical part at high speed. It cuts through cornfields, crosses a stream before ending through a series of natural humps. Special stage 7 was the final stage for the day and for the race. It went through rolling hills before cutting through cornfields and vegetable plots and finally descending to a dried up stream.
Day two of the race was done before lunch. Wasting no time, the riders headed right away to the city gymnasium. Everyone was pumped up with excitement, in a few minutes they will know their final time and who the final winners are. Lunch was served amidst jeering and cheering. The gym was thick with camaraderie as the riders forge new friendships while telling one another their tales on the trail and on how they tackled the challenging, tiring but ultimately rewarding trails of Tacurong City.
More Transformations
Like the twisting trails the riders have to conquer, every Enduro Event has its own twisting narratives. Each race being unique in their own rights, but some Enduro Events are more special than others. The awarding ceremony of Season 3 Finale is for me, the most special yet because it leaves me and the rest of the participants a heart-warming lesson on the essence of sportsmanship. In this event, I and the rest of us would come to know that sportsmanship does not mean only taking part in the game and winning it if luck is on your side but more importantly, it extends to playing the game of life. Florent Poilane, a French enduro rider, who won 1st place in the race, in his manner of accepting his award taught us this valuable lesson.
Not only did he win the race but he certainly won our hearts. He stunned us by his generosity when he decided to hand his cash prize to his rival rider, Nilo Estayo ( 2nd place but was disqualified due to technicalities) and he moved us to tears with his sincere speech or non-speech as he was, for the most part, choked up with tears, thanking everyone for the friendship and warm hospitality. The emotions continue when the crowd burst in cheers when Nilo, in a warm gesture of appreciation, gave him his Enduro cap in return. And that concludes the momentous and unforgettable Enduro Pilipinas Season 3 finale.
Words: IONE BARON MEJIA Photos: Tacurong Photographers
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