THE 7-Eleven Cliqq-Air 21 by Roadbike Philippines continental team will join the first Asian virtual—the Tour of Indonesia—in September.
Sports Director Ric Rodriguez told the BusinessMirror that four of its riders, led by skipper Marcelo Felipe, will compete in the virtual competition that will use digital platforms.
“We are very excited. This is the first time that we will compete in this kind of race. This is also a good development for the cycling community,” Rodriguez said.
The five-stage virtual race that lured 21 teams is set from September 23 to 27.
Felipe, 30, will be joined by young guns Rench Michael Bondoc, Nichol Pareja and Kenneth Krog, all aged 19. They will ride together in a studio in the race that will take participants to virtual routes in Sumatra and Java in Indonesia.
The organizers require each rider to have two cameras, one for the race and one for the commissaire, to monitor the cyclists. The event will be under controlled environments just like in an actual race.
“There will be a commentator, it will be shown live so fans would get the same feeling as watching an actual race,” Rodriguez said.