Mountain bike world champ vies in Subic tiff

Local mountain bikers will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race against top international rider Brian Lopes, who will be competing in the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival 2008 set April 4-6 at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Lopes, the current Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) mountain bike 4X world champion, has had an unprecedented career since becoming a professional cyclist at age 17.

Labeled by USA Today as “undisputedly the best all around world-class cycling athlete,” he raced BMX for most of his childhood after learning how to ride a bike at the tender age of 4.

The 36-year-old Lopes competed in the BMX circuit for seven years before switching to mountain biking.

“Being able to compete with Brian Lopes in the same race category is an honor in itself. No Filipino mountain biker, even at the highest level, has had this chance,” said Boyet Camba, one of the country’s top mountain bikers.

Lopes, known for his flawless riding style, has won nine on the NORBA national circuit, eight on the UCI World Cup and four in the prestigious World Championships. His most recent win was in September last year in Fort William, Scotland.

Lopes, who recently signed up with Ibis Bikes, has the most UCI World Cup career wins in the history of the sport. He has developed such a following that Sony Playstation already has a video game of him called “Downhill Domination.”

For professional riders like Joey Barba, SEA Games gold medalist, Lopes is living “The Life” – racing at the highest levels, fame and adulation, and getting paid top money for doing something they love and live for. As any extreme athlete would say: “Dude, it’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle.”

TLBF organizer Goyo Larrazabal placed it in perspective when he explained that even for those who don’t have enough experience to race against Lopes, just being able to hang out and have their picture taken with their idol is reason enough to participate in this year’s edition of the TLBF.

“We’ve been getting messages through e-mail and SMS from mountain bikers joining the TLBF 2008 saying that they look forward to meeting Brian and having their jerseys autographed. ‘Tell Brian I’ve got a bottle of ice-cold beer waiting for him at Subic.’ Really amazing,” Larrazabal related.