Kenneth San Andres, the Philippines’ top rider, likes his chances while Kh. Erdenebileg, the top gun from Mongolia, tried to downplay his. “I like it here. I like the track and I like the crowd,” said the 20-year-old San Andres, the national champion over the last few years, as he took a breather from a practice round at the newly constructed motocross track at Valderrama.

A huge military tent shielded San Andres and most of the participants from the scorching sun, and just a few meters away, the top rider from Mongolia sat, having his hurting left knee massaged and later on bandaged. “It still hurts with each jump,” said Erdenebileg, who traveled 10 hours by land from Mongolia to Thailand before taking a four-hour plane ride to Manila last Wednesday, and hopping another plane to Iloilo en route to this scenic town. He said he hurt his knee during a bad fall in practice in Thailand two weeks ago.

“It’s cold in Mongolia right now, and here it’s very hot. But I like the track, too,” added Erdenebileg, 21, the 2008 Asian champion, of his chances in the first Gov. Evelio Javier International Motocross Championship that fires off today. A huge crowd is expected to brave the summer heat and witness the action today.

Erdenebileg, who now works as a traffic policeman in Mongolia, will try to make sure no one passes him as he seeks a second win in the series after topping the initial leg in Puerto Princesa, Palawan last February.