Ex-RP rider tops VictoRey Tour
By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
FORMER national team member Reynaldo Navarro applied his international skills to out-speed 79 other contestants to win the VictoRey Tour de Tercero Gen. Velasco Cycling Classic last Sunday that started and ended at Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.
Navarro, 32, of San Jacinto town, skillfully floated with the main pack up to the halfway mark, then accelerated and caught up with the leaders 55 kilometers to the finish, and eventually out-sprinted his four breakaway partners in the last 250 meters to pocket the P10,000 top prize.
Navarro, set to marry on December 7, also won an incentive prize worth P500 at the second of two summit lines in San Carlos City donated by Houston, Texas based brothers Blandino and Amor Caguioa
Asingan stalwart Baler Ravina came in close second to bag P8,000 and P500 for topping the first summit line in San Carlos City.
Mangaldan pride Ariel Flores landed third to earn P6,000 and P500 for coming first at the second Calasiao summit line sponsored by Engr. Rodolfo Dion. The first Calasiao summit prize was won by Rommel Narvas of San Fabian.
Coming in fourth was Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian worth P5,000 and Navarro’s town mate Pepito Calosa checked in fifth to net P4,000.
The five finishers registered an identical time of four hours 12 minutes and 11.82 seconds for the 168 kilometers well-paved and flat trek organized and principally sponsored by former NRCPO chief retired PNP Deputy Director Reynaldo Velasco, supported by Coca-Cola Bottlers, Ginebra San Miguel, San Miguel Corporation and South Korean businessman Dukshin Park.
Rounding up the top ten that received P2,000 apiece are Elmo Ramos, Jr., sixth; Edilberto Orpilla, seventh; Adrian Malanum, eight; Rex Carino, ninth and Norman Pablo, tenth.
The road battle that twice passed the towns of Sta. Barbara, Malasiqui, Bayambang, Calasiao, Mapandan, Basista and the city of San Carlos was open only for Pangasinan cyclists. There were 80 participants and the 56 who survived were given P500 each. Non-survivors received P250 apiece.
The wheel-by-wheel account of the event was aired lived over Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan and Super Radyo.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
