Gaviola, Gacayan gallop to win Race for a Cause

Gaviola

Gacayan

Ren Ren Gaviola might as well be nicknamed Bike Bike after he won the road bike division of the 3rd Annual Race for a Cause Bike Race last Sunday in Marpi.

The 23-year-old Meals 4 U staff completed the long course route from the former Mariana Resort & Spa to Banzai Cliff, La Fiesta Mall, Bird Island, Suicide Cliff, and back in a time of 48:00.

He was followed by fellow speedsters Joel Buco and returning Arvin Velasco in 49:00 and 49:35, respectively.

Gaviola, who also ruled the road race last year, said this year’s edition was made more perilous because of the rain that rendered the route slippery.

It also didn’t help that the long course was made up of mostly hills, which meant that the majority of the race was uphill.

“The hardest part was before we reached Suicide Cliff because the winds were also strong. There were also a lot of veteran cyclists that participated in the race so it was very challenging,” he said in Filipino.

Gaviola, who dedicated his victory to his parents, managed to shake free from said veterans Buco and Velasco after the Saipan sign toward the Suicide Cliff.

“I just tried to break away and when I saw Buco wasn’t following I just quickened my pace and maintained my lead until the end,” he added.

Gaviola also made a shoutout to Saipan Bike Pro for helping him with his ride on the lead up to the 3rd Annual Race for a Cause Bike Race.

Roland Gacayan, meanwhile, topped the mountain bike division after crossing the finish line in 52:11. Mike Aparte and Hernando Cristobal were a distant second and third with times of 55:42 and 56:01, respectively.

Ren Ren Gaviola, middle, topped the road bike division of the 3rd Annual Race for a Cause Bike Race last Sunday in Marpi. He is joined in the photo by runner-up Joel Buco, left, and third place Arvin Velasco. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Roland Gacayan, left, topped the mountain bike division of the 3rd Annual Race for a Cause Bike Race last Sunday in Marpi. He is joined in the photo by runner-up Mike Aparte, middle, and third place Hernando Cristobal. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The 38-year-old Townhouse Furniture staff said like Gaviola, he had a hard time negotiating the route as it was indeed very wet and slippery.

“In fact, there were a number of bikes that slipped and overshot their marks as the road was very dangerous,” he said in Filipino.

The La Union, Philippines native said he joined the peloton of road bike cyclists to take advantage of drafting and that was the secret of his success in the 2023 Bike for a Cause.
He said last weekend’s race was good preparation for the upcoming second stage of the Hell of Marianas series.

Coordinator Willy Barbo said a total of 50 bikers took part in this year’s Race for a Cause Bike Race. He thanked everyone for contributing to a good cause, saying that part of the proceeds from the event will go to a diabetic patient undergoing dialysis three times a week at the Commonwealth Health Center. He added that about 25 elderly people in the Philippines will also get a grocery package from him.

Results of the age group in the road bike and mountain bike divisions of the 3rd Annual Race for a Cause Bike Race will be reported in the next issue of Saipan Tribune.