SPECIAL REMINDERS for those doing any of the Audax rides (200km, 300km and 400km) on the weekend of March 2-3 in Davao. These rides are qualifying rides for Paris Brest Paris 2019:
1) WHAT IS AN AUDAX? All participants are expected to know what they are getting themselves into before signing up for this ride. Everyone should read through the Audax: Are you in it for the long ride? to fully understand the nature of our rides. This is not a race but a self-sufficient ride on an unmarked course. Everyone should go through the audax.ph website before the ride. Reading is a virtue! *wink*
2) Just like any other Audax rides around the globe, participants are expected to go through the ride information details to fully understand the nature of our rides prior to joining. Please make sure you have read the information posted in the audax.ph website. The website has already been updated with the latest information about this ride.
3) Know what randonneuring is about: RANDONNEURING is a style of bicycle riding that requiresCOVERING LONG-DISTANCES OVER AN UNMARKED COURSE OF CHALLENGING TERRAIN within a generously allotted time period of almost continuous riding. There will be no marshals to point you to the right direction. This is a self-sufficient ride. However, you can have your special needs (food and drinks) put in the support vehicles on stand-by at the control points. For the 400km participants, please bring these items during the onsite registration on Saturday. For the 200km and 300km participants, please bring these items during the onsite registration no later than 2am on Sunday morning we can facilitate properly. LABEL YOUR BAGS PROPERLY.
4) Please ensure you have the proper bike lights for the ride as we will surely ride in the dark going out and back (for some). DO NOT LEECH ON SOMEBODY ELSE’S GOOD LIGHTS.
5) Distance may not be exact (+/-5%) but we tried to create the best route for these distances given the convenience of control point locations and road quality.
6) Please be alert of pot holes especially in the first 20km of the ride. Most of the roads will not be asphalt but made of hard cement so most of the ride is not smooth. Just imagine yourself in Paris-Roubaix and remind yourself that you are here for the experience of cycling in beautiful Mindanao. Enjoy the ride instead of focusing on going fast. SAFETY OVER SPEED. J
7) The key to avoid bonking is to have the proper nutrition throughout the ride. Eat and hydrate accordingly.
9) Do not attack the hills. :) They may not be long but remember that this is a very long ride and you need to conserve for the distance. The key to enjoying this ride is to stay in your aerobic zone.
10) This is a non-profit ride and our registration fees go to the logistical costs and accreditation dues that we pay to Audax Club Parisien on a yearly basis. We had to pay 8,200++ Euros in January 2019 alone. Some have been asking for items (finisher shirts, certificates, etc.). One joins the audax not because of the items one can gain but rather for one's own personal satisfaction for finishing. As much as I want to provide a lot of things for the participants, I am bound by these rules set by ACP. Note that all organizers of the audax pay for their own expenses (from the ocular, ride approval, accommodations in audax venues, etc.) and do not get any monetary/financial assistance from the local government. Please be reasonable.
11) As much as I want to give everyone finisher medals, I cannot. The audax finisher medals are all imported from France. This is true for all ACP-accredited countries. I don't include this in the registration fees because I don't want to burden the riders of this extra cost. For those who would like to have a medal, there is an option in the registration forms.
12) Again, THIS IS NOT A RACE. To enjoy the roads and the beautiful Davao countryside, pedal at a comfortable speed that you can maintain for duration of the ride. We will have a sweeper vehicle for the slower riders. If you want to be picked up, make sure you are seen on the roads and are not hiding in a shop. This ride is better treated as an endurance ride that will not only burn fat but will also nurture a friendly atmosphere. :)
Kindly forward this information to other interested participants. Please feel free to ask me any questions (GIVEN that you have read through the website). See you on March 2!