CDN PHOTO / NORMAN MENDOZA
Newly installed Lapu-Lapu City Police Director Senior Superintendent Limuel Obon said his team is well prepared for this year’s Regent Aguila Ironman Asia Pacific Championships which will be held this weekend in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue. ]
Libon said at the top of their priority list is the safety of the participants and spectators of this prestigious triathlon event the province of Cebu is hosting for the seventh straight year.
His team will be first tested on Friday when an estimated one thousand cyclists go on a bike out to test the new bike route of the swim-bike-run race. The bike out, which will be grouped into three batches, starts 9 a.m. from the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa to Zuelig Avenue at the Mandaue North Reclamation Area and back.
There will be around 300 to 400 cyclists per batch. No road closure will be done for the bike out, according to Princess Galura of the organizing Sunrise Events Inc.
Lapu-Lapu City Police will be escorting the participants throughout the bike out in coordination with the Mandaue City Police Office and both city’s traffic enforcement units.
Another batch of the bike out will be held on Saturday.
“Police Regional Office 7 Director Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas is asking the public for patience and understanding for this event to show to the world Cebu’s capability of hosting this international event,” said Obon.
The race proper will be on Sunday, featuring 2,571 triathletes, including 38 professional triathletes.