DESPITE the widespread bitching and moaning and rampant technophobia during the lead in to the May 10 elections, poll automation is now deemed largely a success.

Much of the credit for this has been laid at the feet of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Gregorio Y. Larrazabal, who was tasked with overseeing the automation process. During countless Congressional hearings before and after the polls, Larrazabal became a familiar face as he answered most of the questions pertaining to poll automation.

The scion of an influential Leyte clan, Larrazabal is the youngest Comelec commissioner ever, at 38. His father, Emeterio Larrazabal, was the OIC mayor of Ormoc, while his mother Adelina was Leyte governor. The family also owns the Cebu Doctors? University Hospital and numerous other businesses. An election lawyer, Larrazabal had served as regional election director for Region VIII, and was often called in as troubleshooter to election hotspots. His familiarity with IT made him the natural choice when a vacancy opened up at the central office with only eight months to go before the May 10 elections.

But now that the heavy lifting of poll automation is done, Larrazabal can look forward to finally getting in some saddle time. Before you get any wrong ideas, we're talking bicycles here, because apart from being a lawyer and now public servant, Larrazabal is an avid and enthusiastic cyclist.

In fact, in the local cycling world, "Goyo" is better known as the man behind upscale bike boutique Bike Town Cyclery, and the founder of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival (TLBF). Named in honor of his late father, the festival was envisioned as a three-day celebration of cycling in all its forms. Now on its eighth year, the festival attracts thousands of participants, including international names in competitive cycling, and is the only event of its kind in Asia and the Pacific. The 2008 festival, held in Subic, drew an estimated 900 participants and thousands of spectators. Last year's festival featured international mountain bike luminaries Hans Rey and Brian Lopes.

In an interview with SIM, Larrazabal talks about his other passion:

SIM: How did you get into cycling?

Gregorio Y. Larrazabal (GYL): My dad got me into cycling when I was young. He taught me how to bike. My brother, Emy, got me into tuning and building bikes.

SIM: What attracted you to cycling in the first place, and what has kept you passionate about it all these years?

GYL: The spirit of adventure. Whether it was cycling around the corner, over the hill, or to the next mountain, the bicycle was what allowed me to embark on those adventures. And unlike a car, where you simply drive from one point to another, while riding a bicycle, you're able to experience the journey, be it coasting and letting go of the handlebars while going downhill, mashing gears while trying to ride up hills, or maneuvering over obstacles on the road or trail. You could experience the smooth asphalt road, or be jolted by riding over small rocks and bumps on the road. Cycling?s an experience in itself, while getting from point A to point B.

SIM: What kind of riding do you do?

GYL: I did BMX when I was younger. Then I switched to mountain bikes. I usually ride cross-country, but have taken to riding single speed bikes more often than geared bikes. I do a little of road biking, and occasionally do cyclocross.

SIM: What kind of mileage? Did the stress of your Comelec work cut into your riding time? Or did riding provide some stress relief?

GYL: I haven't been able to ride for some months now, with all the work for the just-concluded national elections, but hope to get back in the saddle very soon. Cycling is definitely a good way to relieve stress. Even cleaning a bicycle is something I do to relax.

SIM: What can we expect for the coming TLBF?

GYL: We'll be doing the next TLBF on March 31 - April 3, 2011 in Ormoc City, where the festival started. We'll have the following cycling competitions:

Mountain Bike: Cross Country, Downhill, 4X, Dirt Jumping

Road Bike: 3-day, 4-stage road race (In 2006 the airport runway was closed for a day so the criterium race could be conducted on the airport runway)

BMX: Dirt Jumping, Supercross, Duathlon

Aside from these competitions, we'll be having nightly parties and concerts. We'll also be adding a few new events next year. These would include: National Horse Racing Competition, National Football/Soccer tournament and Marathon

SIM: Would you consider yourself a bike nut/nerd? How many bikes do you own and what kinds?

GYL: I think so. I have the following: Ibis Bow Ti titanium mountain bike, Sycip single speed steel mountain bike, Independent Fabrications steel cyclocross bike, Pegoretti steel road bike, and Parlee Z5 carbon road bike.

SIM: Would you consider yourself a cycling advocate? For what reasons?

GYL: I like the sport, I have a lot of friends who are into the sport and want to share with others, not only the joy and camaraderie cycling brings, but also the health benefits cycling provides.

SIM: What improvements to the present situation for cycling in the Philippines would you like to see?

GYL: I'd like to see a unification of the two cycling organizations in the Philippines.

I'd also like to have more support provided to other disciplines of cycling. This includes BMX Supercross, where the Philippines has a good chance of winning a medal. ?