He came, he saw, he conquered

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE touted annual national summer bikathon this year, “Le Tour de Filipinas”, just concluded last Tuesday. The four-day (April 17-20) road battle, participated in by seven foreign teams plus ten local squads, was successful. But surprisingly, amazingly and stunningly, despite the heat wave that our country is encountering now, an aging European fellow named David McCann from Ireland (a country where it rains for most part of the year and never faces a sweltering heat), who has never before stepped on Philippine soil and does not have much knowledge about the Philippines’ terrain, won the race. Yes, and he won it in a convincing fashion.

Like last year when this summer sports spectacle was called “Padyak Pinoy,” I was there again last week as an official consultant and observer of this 2.2 categorized UCI- sanctioned bikefest, and I watched how the Europeans, South Africans and Asian riders defeated our local boys, especially in stage finishing. The best our Pinoy bets could do was to land second and third in the overall individual standings.

It’s not so bad really. It’s just reminiscent of the 1997 Marlboro Tour when a rider from Hong Kong named Wong Kam Po captured the crown, which was expected to be won by a Filipinos given the advantage of being familiar with the local terrain. Learning a lesson from the foreigners, national team member Warren Davadilla of Valenzuela City seized the crown the following year while defending champion Wong Kam Po finished tenth overall.

McCann, a member of Asia’s famous Team Giant Asia Riding Team, won the initial stage with plenty to spare. I was there, including during the Sunday mountain climb, a 15-kilometers dreaded trek (one of the training places of the RP team) where the six-foot-three McCann broke away, sustained his pace and finished alone in Tagaytay City. To prove that his first win was not a fluke at all, he notched the fourth and final legs, a short but punishing 119-kilometer stage, under the intense heat of the sun, that started and ended at the Freeport area in Subic.

McCann, 37, crossed the finish line a bike length ahead of German rider Sascha Damrow and Japanese Yuzuru Suzuki to complete a one-two-three foreign finish sweep. Embarrassing for the Filipinos.

I had a chitchat with McCann after the race and he said he admired the Filipino riders’ mountain climbing prowess, especially our very own Asingan son Baler Ravina and Llyod Reynante of Muntinlupa City. Reynante and Ravina placed second and third overall, respectively. The lanky McCann, who also won the ten-day Tour of Taiwan just last month, said these two guys are strong mountain climbers despite their pint size of five-foot-four tall. He also said he’s looking forward to defend his Philippine title next year.

Chief organizer Gary Cayton said he’s proposing to make it longer next year, with at least a Baguio City stage and most probably will originate in Alaminos City here in Pangasinan.

Like what he did in the Taiwan event, he came, he saw and conquered the Philippine racing with much gusto. Can McCann do it again next year?

It’s hard to say especially if there is going to be a Baguio City stage. That will make a big difference. Let’s wait and see.

* * * *

By the time this column comes out, the 15th Engr. Fidel D. Ginez Cycling Classic scheduled on April 24 would already be over. Unfortunately, I will not direct that race this time, unlike the previous years, due to my earlier commitment with the Dagupan City Fun Run on April 24, which is organized by the ABS-CBN network. The 3.3-kilometer foot race will go around the loop of Burgos St., Perez blvd., M.H. del Pilar and A.B. Fernandez Ave. It will be run in two categories, men and women, with medals and cash prizes at stake. It will start and finish across the city plaza.

See you there, sports aficionados.

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