Philippine cycling just shifted into high gear.

On June 23, Tagaytay City officially opened the country’s first Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-standard indoor velodrome—a landmark for local sports and a bold stride toward placing the Philippines on the global cycling map.

“If you build, they will come,” said Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino a few days before the opening, quoting the iconic line from Field of Dreams, the 1989 Kevin Costner film. The cornfield may be missing, but Tolentino’s vision is clear: build the venue, and greatness will follow.

Perched in the cool highlands with a panoramic view of Taal Volcano, Tagaytay has rapidly transformed into the Philippines’ cycling capital. And Tolentino has made sure every discipline has its place.

“Road cycling? We got technical and treacherous climbs. BMX? We got the UCI-homologated BMX Racing track, the only one in the country. Freestyle? We got the park right beside the BMX track,” said Tolentino, also the president of Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling).

The indoor velodrome adds a crucial piece to that puzzle. Built by Canada’s Junek Velodrome—helmed by Peter Junek, one of only three UCI-recognized track designers—the 250-meter wooden track features a 7.1-meter width and steep banking engineered for elite-level speed and safety.

“It’s a dream, not only to make Tagaytay City as a cycling and sports hub, but to help bring back the glory the Philippines enjoyed in the past,” said Tolentino.

“Pardon the pun, but we are on track,” he added.

With the facility now open, the Philippines joins a select group of Asian nations with a UCI-standard indoor velodrome—alongside Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and India.

More than just concrete and timber, it’s a signal of growing investment in Olympic-level sports infrastructure and a strategic bid to host international events.