SIGNIFICANTLY growing since its first staging in 2016, Pru Life UK is girding for a bigger edition of PRUride PH next year.
Widely considered as the biggest cycling event in the Philippines, PRUride PH has also become an inspiration for other offices of Pru Life UK in the region as Thailand and Hong Kong are set to hold their own versions of the ride, officials said.
Having set the stage for the event, which also aims to encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle and push for bicycles as a sustainable mode of transportation, officials of Pru Life UK here are brimming with pride over how its initiative has evolved and grown in dimension.
“The sense of pride is within the Prudential world, let’s be clear about it. As we all know Prudential is a global company. And it’s amazing to see the Philippines spearheading something like this for this group here in Asia,” said Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, in an interview with BusinessWorld during the media launch of PRUride PH 2019 on Monday.
“We started it here in 2016. And they saw how good the Philippines did it so much so the group sent a representative from London to observe it and they were quite impressed. And we are proud of it,” he added.
In previous stagings of PRUride, organizers have made it a point to make them a worthwhile experience for every participant.
And it was not only confined to professional cyclists but riders of various expertise and sizes as well.
From these, Pru Life UK is setting the stage for another engaging run of the ride in 2019.
PRUride PH 2019 is to be held in two legs and areas — Filinvest City in Alabang in April and Subic, Zambales, in May — and is expected to gather more than 2,500 cyclists.
Kicking off things is the PRUride Criterium happening on April 7, 2019 in Alabang.
Under it are high-octane race categories that local talents can compete in, including fixed gear, road bikes, mountain bikes and folding bikes, among others.
The second leg of the festivities is from May 24 to 26, 2019 in Subic.
Highlights of the weekend will be the PRUride UCI 2.2 Stage Race, a three-day stage race that will see 20 top teams from the country and across Asia compete for individual, team and stage honors.
The 2.2 accreditation of world cycling body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is something new for PRUride PH and means the event is included in the UCI World Calendar and will allow professionals to chalk up UCI points required for entry into the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Amateur cyclists, meanwhile, will also have a chance to join in the fun with the new masters single stage race as well as the non-competitive Gran Fondo in 30, 60, or 100 kilometers.
Seeing how the event has evolved and been received, Mr. Tumbaga said they are only more inspired by it.
“We are very happy and satisfied how it has panned out. We have seen how people became interested in cycling. It has been acknowledged not only by cyclists but also various groups for the impact it has had,” the Pru Life UK official said.
Registration for PRUride PH 2019 will soon open online at www.pruride.ph.
Those interested are encouraged to avail of the early-bird discount rate and limited-edition freebies by registering until Dec. 31.
All participants in the 2019 ride will receive jerseys and all finishers will take home a finisher medal. More than P2 million worth of cash prizes are up for grabs. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
