Fernando Zobel de Ayala survives triathlon crash

BUSINESS tycoon Fernando Zobel de Ayala crashed on his bicycle during the Pico de Loro Triathlon event in Nasugbu, Batangas, yesterday and was evacuated by helicopter to Manila for treatment. He is now reported to be in stable condition.

The 52-year-old vice chair, president and chief operating officer of the conglomerate Ayala Corp. was “a bit disoriented” after the crash. He was on the second loop of the 35-kilometer bike leg of the swim-bike-run event when he apparently slipped on the the wet surface. He sustained cuts in the face. Ayala Corp chair Jaime Au- gusto Zobel de Ayala said his brother was in stable condition.

‘‘Fernando is presently in a stable medical condition and incident just requires suturing of lacerations sustained.’’

“There was a lot of blood on the road and on his face,” said Tommy de la Paz, a member of the Camelbak triathlon team who was the first to come to Zobel’s aid. He said Zobel was motionless for several seconds, his legs sprawled over his bike, in the middle of the road which was wet from the thunderstorms that had hounded the event.

De la Paz said Zobel de Ayala was conscious and tried to get up. He said he advised Zobel to stay down until help came. He said Zobel’s teammates from Polo Tri came shortly afterwards and pulled him to the side of the road. He was later seen being driven off on a pickup truck. He was later flown by helicopter to Manila.

Zobel de Ayala also chairs Ayala Land Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. and is a director at Bank of the Philippine Islands, Globe Telecom and Integrated MicroElectronics.

He is a veteran of local and international events in triathlon—a competition that combines swimming, cycling and running in one event. He had competed in events like the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Camsur and the Aviva Ironman in Singapore. He is also a marathon runner.