Fitness First cycling team sweeps Nuvali

NUVALI, Sta. Rosa Laguna , Philippines  – The Fitness First Cycling Team won both the Individual Time Trial (ITT) and the Team Time Trial (TTT) events of the Philippine Premiere Cycling League’s second round recently at the 1,600-hectare metropolitan development project in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.

Fitness First rider Maiqui Dayrit scored first by winning the 12-kilometer ITT in 17minutes, 52 seconds, to become the only rider to achieve a sub 18-minute clocking. After taking third place in last month’s first round at the Macapagal Avenue, Parañaque, Dayrit was happy to finally land on top.

“Round One showed that our riders were getting stronger, but we were admittedly looking for better results. Nuvali’s technical and windy course perfectly suited our skill as a team. I’m glad we were able to redeem ourselves,” said Dayrit.

The strength of the team’s riders was further underscored when seven of the team’s eight riders landed in the top 20 of the ITT.

The team then came together to win the seven-loop 42-kilometer Team Time Trial with a time of 1:04:49, two mins ahead of the second placed team.

Fitness First country manager and cycling team captain, Mark Ellis, was proud of the team’s performance.

“Our team actually took second place at last month’s TTT. But we had hoped to win then, and I am proud of the way the team came together to win today. Today’s race was not easy. Nuvali is an awesome cycling venue with wide-open spaces, which pushed 33 teams to race in windy conditions over a hilly and technical course. We knew we had to ride as a team in order to conserve energy for the finish. We had a plan, and executed it perfectly,” said Ellis.

Nuvali is starting to make a mark on the cycling scene as a perfect venue for cyclo tourism. They will play host once again to the Tour of Luzon international edition tomorrow with no less than four international teams competing with the top six local squads in a nine-day tour around the north of Luzon.

Fitness First Cycling Team is sponsored by Fitness First, Phiten, Rudy Project, Dupont, Suunto, Victoria Court and Juice.ph.