This year’s edition of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF) is set to begin Friday at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales and reportedly has attracted over 1,000 cyclists and bike aficionados from 13 countries worldwide.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza said the three-day 2009 TLBF is the most awaited cycling competition in the country because of the various bicycle races, demonstrations, and exhibits to be featured.

"Again, this puts Subic in the map of sports tourism because the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival has also made a name in other countries," Arreza said in a statement.

"In fact, this event will be featured in the Dirt Rag magazine, one of the most popular US-based cycling magazines, which has made the 2009 TLBF a part of their Dirt Rag World Tour," Arreza added.

Some of the participants will reportedly come from different countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and United Kingdom.

Festival director Gregorio "Goyo" Larrazabal said the bike festival has also "gotten a lot of interest from cyclists all over the Philippines -from as far up north as Ilocos, and from as far down south as General Santos City."

The three-day cycling activity will include race events for Mountain Bikes X-Country, Single Speed X-Country, Downhill Competition, 4X/Mountain Cross Challenge, Dirt Jumping and Trials Competition.

In the Road Bike event, the three-day, four-stage road race, "Tour de Larrazabal," is expected to provide extra challenge to corporate professionals and executives, while the BMX races will feature the Super Cross Championships and the Dirt Jumping Competition.

The festival will also feature an Olympic/standard distance triathlon (40-km bike/10-km run/1.5-km swim), the FilBike- Bicycle and Outdoor Exposition, and Demo Day.

Larrazabal, who started the bike festival in honor of his father Terry, said that all have been put into place for the biggest bike event in the country.

"We also have invited four world-renowned biking personalities as resource persons to discuss important issues during the forum to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center," he said.

The festival guests would reportedly include Hans Rey of "Wheels 4 Life," a non-profit foundation that has been assisting the less privileged in acquiring a bike; Brian Lopes, described as the most complete rider in the cycling industry, who will speak on "How to compete in the World Cup"; Jeff Jones, a legend in the cycling industry in terms of cutting edge design of bicycle frame and rigid forks, who will tackle "The Philosophy of designing a Jones bike"; and Jay MacNeil, the chief operating officer of Banshee Bikes, one of the world's leaders in full suspension bikes, who will cover "Bicycle Suspension 101."