Cycling tours to watch this year

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

APRIL or May is cycling time for multi-stage bicycle racing. This started in 1955 when the first multi-stage bikathon in the Philippines was held and organized by the late Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta, a native of Bayambang. It was called the Manila-Vigan Race and won by Sta. Rosa, Laguna son Antonio Arzala. The following year was the commencement of the fabled Tour of Luzon that lasted up to 1977 under Lacuesta’s wings. Different groups of cycling organizations emerged starting 1974, and in 1977 there were three multi-stage races held in the country, namely: the Tour of PICCA (Philippine Industrial Commercial Cycling Association) under the faction of the late Antonio Kairuz, the Tour ng Pilipinas formed by Atty. Mat Defensor and company, and the Tour of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao by Lacuesta.

Since its establishment in 1955, the multi-stage bikefest has moved with the times, undergoing numerous changes of name like the Marlboro Tour, Padyak Pinoy (now called Le Tour de Filipinas) and the latest, the LBC Ronda Pilipinas Tour. The organizers enforced their own formats before reaching today’s successful formula, returning to the image of international race with the world governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) backing up the Philippine races.

Le Tour de Filipinas is ready to reel off this coming April 14 and will start in the northeast part of Luzon in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, with stages in Tuguegarao, Cauayan, Isabela, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and Baguio City, the final leg. Most of the stages the participants have to negotiate are mountains. It’s a four-day international event with teams from Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Uzbekistan, to name a few, aiming to conquer anew the annual race which was originally reserved for Filipinos. Reports reaching me from 2003 Tour Pilipinas champion Arnel Quirimit indicate that defending team and individual champion Iran is not sure to come this year. And Quirimit is happy that an elite five-man all-Pangasinan squad composed of him, three-time Tour champion Santy Barnachea of Umingan, Baler Ravina of Asingan, Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian and Ericson Obosa of Manaoag will battle against the eleven teams. Their alternate member is Renato Sembrano, a native of my town Mangaldan. The Pangasinenses will be sponsored by Air 21 and will be called Go 21 Team. As of this writing, overall individual and team prizes as well as stage awards were not yet disclosed. I don’t know why. My reliable source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the principal sponsor is encountering financial problems. I hope it’s not true.

Another Tour is set on May 20 to June 10, the LBC Ronda Pilipinas Tour 2012 and the defending champion here is Barnachea. The 15-stage bikathon will start in Saranggani province in Mindanao, then on to three cities in the Visayas and ends in Manila with two stages in Baguio City. This is the second edition, and like last year, a whopping P1 million each is up for grabs for the individual and team winners. And all the top 20 finishers everyday will be awarded cash prizes with the top winner pocketing P50,000 and the 20th finisher to receive P1,000. I have a hint that the LBC Tour is much richer than the Le Tour in terms of prizes like last year. And hopefully it will not be yet raining during these dates, like what happened last year. We saw how rains disrupted the beautiful bikefest and fewer enthusiasts cheered the cyclists along the highways and at the finish line. I have no doubt that global climate has already really changed.

See you there on these two Tours, especially at the Baguio City stages. I can’t afford not to come, to watch and to learn more about modern cycling organization and competition.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” JOHN 20: 26-29

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