PHILCYCLING has postponed its planned national championships for road, mountain bike (MTB) and BMX in May and June because of the spike in Covid-19 infections.
PhilCycling President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino made the announcement on Wednesday, citing the intensified campaign against the spread of the coronavirus which breached the 5,000 a day mark in the recent week.
“The priority is always the health and safety of everyone—cyclists, officials and fans,” Tolentino, also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said. “No questions asked.”
“We’ll just have to wait until the pandemic is contained,” Tolentino added.
PhilCycling started working on the national championships in January, a week after the federation elected its new set of officers for the next Olympic cycle.
The Road and Track Commission has also identified the routes for the road championships at Subic Bay Freeport.
MTB and BMX officials are also laying the groundwork for the national championships in Tagaytay City in June.
The PhilCycling’s letter of intent to stage the championships was also forwarded to the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The national championships were part of the criteria for the selection of riders for the Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games set from November 21 to December 2.
Competitions for road included individual time trial, team time trial, criterium and massed start for men and women. For MTB, lined up were the cross country, downhill and cross country mixed relay, while the racing event was set for BMX.
Close to 300—cyclists, commissaires, support personne and staff—are expected at the national championships.
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