PANGASINAN’s popular annual bikefest, the “Fidel D. Ginez Cycling Classic”, reels off on April 22 with top guns in Philippine cycling expected to participate and lead a pack of 150 riders.

According to Engr. Fidel D. Ginez, Public Works and Highways Region 1 Director and the chief organizer and sponsor of the event, well-known pedal pushers like last year’s Tour king Santi Barnachea and former champions Arnel Quirimit, Victor Espiritu and Warren Davadilla and other national luminaries already registered to join the road battle.

“My pledge is to hold a bicycle road race every year during the town fiesta of Asingan, which is my town of birth and coincides with my natal day. I have been doing this since 1994 and this is the 14th consecutive year,” said Ginez.

The race will start and end in Asingan in conjunction with the celebration of the town fiesta, traversing the national highways of the host town, Sta. Maria, Tayug, San Nicolas, Natividad, San Quintin, Umingan, Balungao, Rosales, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Basista, Magtaking junction (San Carlos City), Malasiqui, and Villasis with an approximate distance of 175 kilometers.

Ginez also said that P95,000 in cash prizes, trophies and medals are at stake with the top three winners to pocket P12,000, P9,000 and P7,000, respectively, plus a trophy each.

Fourth placer nets P5,000 and fifth earns P3,000 while sixth to tenth placers collect P2,000 each.

All survivors will receive an incentive prize of P300 each.

“The other reason I do this is because I believe this is one of the ways-if not the main way-to curb the drug menace and at the same time to contribute in sports development, sharpen the skills of our cyclists for their bigger races like the annual Tour Pilipinas,” Ginez said.

As of press time, negotiations are ongoing for the live radio coverage of the wheel-by-wheel account of the competition.—JAGJr.

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