Big time Bugallon town fiesta cycling returns

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

AFTER years of absence, the well-known Bugallon bikefest that used to see national cycling celebrities turning up to participate, returned its high level stature of competition last November 27. This time it was opened exclusively to 70 accredited Pangasinan riders. The cycling road race was organized by the municipal government under the initiative and leadership of the town’s chief executive Priscilla “Mely” I. Espino, with her two sons Third District Rep. Jumel Anthony I. Espino and Governor Pogi Espino, backing up the star-studded event.

Dubbed this year as “First Mayor Pricilla “Mely” I. Espino Cup Tour de Segundo Distrito,” the road battle started and ended in front of the Bugallon municipal hall passing the towns of Lingayen, Labrador, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Basista, San Carlos City and Binmaley.

Like the last time, I was there again to direct the event and saw how the San Quintin resident, former Philippine team member Rustom Lim outdistanced his opponents to bag the P10,000 top prize and a handsome trophy, clocking the 126-kilometer race in three hours eight minutes and nine seconds.

Lim, riding with the first group composed of ten that broke away at the outskirts of Lingayen, countered with an attack from the group four kilometers away from the finish line to finish about 180 meters from the second pack. Mark Julius Bordeos of Laoac took the lead in the second group in a wheel-to-wheel finish to the delight of the mammoth crowd that included government officials led by the town’s administrator Amado Aquino. Alden James Mendoza of San Manuel came in a close third in the four-man pack while Mervin Corpuz of Umingan landed fourth and my town mate and this year’s Philippine team SEA Games alternate member Daniel Ven Cariño landed fifth. Bordeos and Mendoza earned P8,000 and P6,000, respectively, plus trophy apiece while Corpuz and Cariño collected P4,000 and P2,000 and with medal each, correspondingly.

Rounding up the top ten that received P1,000 and medal each were: three-time SEA Games (2005, 2007, 2009) gold medalist Alfie Catalan of San Manuel; Warren Bordeos of Laoac; Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian; Dominic Perez of Sto. Tomas and Bonijoe Martin of Villasis. The top ten winners were all veteran international competitors.

Cash prizes, trophies and medals were handed by Vice Mayor Winston P. Tandoc. 

My big thanks to the policemen especially to our provincial director P/Col. Redrico Maranan who helped us maintain an orderly traffic flow during the entire race. Of course, to the Bugallon Police force spearheaded by the energetic P/Maj. Amor Mio I. Somine. I doff my hat for you guys.

y the way, did you know that Bugallon is the first of two Pangasinan towns that produced an Asian silver medalist? The late Edgardo Pagarigan of Barangay Bolaoen was the first to win the silver medal in the track (velodrome) event in 1983 Asian Cycling Championship held in Manila. The 2003 Tour ng Pilipinas king Arnel Quirimit of Barangay Palac-palac, Pozorrubio duplicated the feat in 2001 Asian Cycling Championship road race held in Taiwan. From there on, no other Filipino rider won a medal in any Asian joust sanctioned by the world governing body Union Cycliste Internationale. Also unknown to many, Bugallon town also already produced a world boxing champion – the late Roberto Cruz who won the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight crown in 1965 after knocking out the Reynosa, Mexico- born Raymond “Battling” Torres in the first round. Cruz was the only (so far) Pangasinense that won a world boxing crown.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” EXODUS 20: 12

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