TAGAYTAY. — Build a velodrome and they will come.
With the formal opening of the new and modern Tagaytay CT Velodrome – the one and only in the country – to celebrate Olympic Day on Monday, the venue was awarded the hosting of the 26th Asian Cycling Federation Championships from March 25 to 31, 2026.
No less than ACF president Dato’ Amarjit Singh Gill of Malaysia made the announcement at the velodrome, which sounded like sweet music to the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who was by his side.
“We expect this modern velodrome to be a huge boost for the sport of track cycling in the country,” Singh Gill said of the 250-meter track modeled after the UCI Cycling Velodrome in Switzerland built by noted Canadian designer Peter Junek.
Singh Gill said that he expects around 350 riders from all of the ACF’s 45 member countries to see action in the continental cycling showcase, adding the competition could wind up as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Given the steep embankment of the track, I look forward to seeing many Asian records broken in this velodrome,” added the Asian cycling honcho, who did the ribbon-cutting together with Tolentino and his daughter, Cavite Gov. Athena Tolentino.
“We are on track,” noted the POC chief of his concrete and lasting legacy to local sport with the opening of the new facility, confident that all the requirements of the Asian meet will be met when it is staged here next year.
Except for some rooms, the Tagaytay CT Velodrome is now ready for use. What is important is the track is ready for use,” said Tolentino of the oval that had veterans Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado taking first crack at it.
Tolentino said he borrowed two track bikes from the Thai Cycling Federation for the inauguration of the velodrome, adding the tryouts and training for the national cycling track team would begin in earnest for the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December.
“We hope to identify our national team track aspirants quickly and look for a coach who will be able to train them well,” he said.
The country will aim to break a 14-year-old drought in the medal-rich discipline since Alfie Catalan and Renato Mier ruled the men’s four-kilometer individual pursuit and 40-kilometer points race in the 2011 Indonesia SEA Games in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
