Revival of Mapandan bikefest set on March 18
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
AFTER five years, the revival of annual Mapandan bikefest regularly conducted in the past in conjunction with the celebration of its Pandan Festival, will finally be realized on March 18 under the leadership of the town’s new chief executive Karl Christian F. Vega.
According to my only cycling son Jazy, the race director, said the cycling road race this year, unlike in previous years that invited all road bikers, will be raced by mountain bike racers only as requested by the Mapandanians, known as avid mountain bike riders. It’s a “change of taste,” ‘ika nga. Jazy said the bikefest will start and finish across the town’s municipal hall and will be flagged off by Mayor Vega himself in the company of the town’s Vice Mayor Gerald Tambaoan. The contestants will traverse the barangays of Aserda, Torres, Primicias-Lambayan (Mapandan), to pass partly barangay Catablan (junction) of Urdaneta City, Sta. Barbara barangays Menien, Banaoang, Tuliao (junction), Malanay, and Gueguesangen, partly passing barangay Gueguesangen of Mangaldan, then back to Mapandan via barangays Nilombot, Golden, Apaya and Poblacion.
The competitors will traverse the same route twice with an approximate total distance of 49.8 kilometers. Of course, a trophy for the champion and medals for the second up to the tenth placers plus ideal cash prizes for the top ten winners are at stake, and special prizes will be awarded to the best five Mapandan finishers. Jazy added that the event is exclusively for Pangasinenses with a maximum of 80 participants.
Unknown to many, especially the young ones, the tiny municipality Mapandan with only 15 barangays already produced a national cycling Tour champion, the dusky Mamerto Eden, Sr. of barangay Poblacion who won the fabled 1958 Tour of Luzon with Teofilo Cuison of barangay Tapuac, Dagupan City grabbing the first runner-up plum. The late Eden was the second of the 21 Pangasinenses (after Rufino Gabot of then Barrio Laoac, Manaoag in 1957) that triumphed in multi-stage racing in the Philippines since cycling was born in 1955 won by Sta. Rosa, Laguna son. the first three-time Tour champion Antonio Arzala. The rest is history.
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No national tour was held in the last two years, so I don’t blame our best professional Pangasinan cyclists for wanting to test their mettle and their luck abroad to gain some skills, and if possible to bring home some honors for our country and earn fortunes too. Yes, our Pangasinan big guns like former Tour champions Ronald Oranza of Villasis and my town mate El Joshua Cariño and his younger brother Daniel Ven of Mangaldan, Kenneth Maramba of Dagupan City, Lance Quirimit of Pozorrubio and Steve Hora of San Manuel are joining this year’s season of the Tour de Taiwan while Claire Vinoya of Calasiao and Raven Joy Valdez of Asingan joined the ten-day fray of the 14th Binh Duong International Women’s U23 Cycling Tournament Biwase Cup in Binh Duong, Vietnam last March 6-15 this year. So, by the time you read this piece, the two multi-stage bikathons are already over and hopefully I’ll receive some official results from my source to be printed here next week. We’ll also have the results of the 50-kilometer March 16 Bani bikefest under the organization and directorship of veteran western Pangasinan cyclist Edwin “Bitoy” Ochale.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purity for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. TITUS 2: 13-14
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