Philippine elite enduro rider Gabriel Amigo III will be hitting the pedals again in the Mangima MTB Challenge which will be held in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.
The first race will be tough for the Bislig, Surigao Del Sur native rider since the event will take place over two consecutive days.
According to Amigo, he can’t wait to ride his bike and speed off.
“Miss na rin namin ‘yung karera. Grabe ‘yung COVID na mahigpit talaga. Uhaw na uhaw mga riders. Grabe, na-miss talaga namin ‘yung karera. Sana nga may series na para makapunta kami riyan sa Luzon. [We really miss racing. COVID is tough, the (government) has really been strict. The riders are so thirsty (to ride). We really really miss racing. We hope for a series soon so we can go to Luzon],” Amigo confessed.
With the upcoming gig, the 29-year-old enduro rider wants to show an impressive performance.
“Medyo hindi ganoon na 100% ‘yung ensayo. Talagang nagpursige ako na maibalik ‘yung lakas ko. Expect ko lang na matapos ko ‘yung race, clean run, ‘tsaka yung panalo kayang-kaya pa naman. [It was not really 100% training. I worked hard to regain my strength. I expect to finish the race, a clean run, and a win can be managed quite well],” Amigo said.
As he gets back into action, Amigo is also hoping to represent the Philippines on the international stage, perhaps by joining the Enduro World Series (EWS).
“Mahirap eh, alam mo naman, COVID pa. Mahirap mag-travel. Yung goal is makapaglaro sa highest level of enduro representing PH. Gusto ko i-push limit ko kung saan talaga kaya ng Pinoy [It is really difficult, and there is COVID to consider. It is hard to travel. My goal is to perform at the highest level of enduro representing (the) PH. I want to push my limit and see how far the Filipino can go],” Amigo said.
The two-day event will be divided in two parts — Downhill on April 17 and the Enduro Race on April 18. -Report by Ma. Isabel Reyes/JBB-jlo
