Ravina, Quirimit rule Tour elims
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
Two Pangasinan cycling stalwarts emerged as the paragon of the 180 participants in the two-day 2006 Tour Pilipinas elimination races staged at the Calabarzon region last February 12 and 13.
First to capture the limelight was Asingan’s pride and 2004 Tour Pilipinas Rookie of the Year awardee Baler Ravina, conquering the tough 147.4 kilometers mountainous trek in a convincing fashion, crossing the finish line all by himself with a clocking of four hours, four minutes and 24.75 seconds to pocket the P15, 000 top prize plus trophy.
His victory with provincemate Emil Pablo of Umingan who finished third and bagged P7,000 and also with trophy, automatically qualified them for this year’s tour and were exempted to join the second qualifying day.
Other Pangasinenses who landed on the top ten were 2003 Tour Pilipinas champion Arnel Quirimit ofPozorrubio, fourth with P5,000 prize, Reynaldo Navarro of San Jacinto and Rene Esteban of San Fabian, sixth and eight, respectively, to earn P2,000 each.
Quirimit topped the second day, a winding 40-kilometer ‘race against the clock’ that started in Tuy, Batangas and ended at Tagaytay City and had a time of one hour, 13 minutes and 8.74 seconds.
Fellow Pangasinenses, up and coming Renier Clauna of Bugallon came in third with one hour, 14 minutes and 5.62 seconds and 2002 Tour of Calabarzon king Santy Barnachea of Umingan checked in fifth with one hour, 15 minutes and 4.76 seconds.
Ravina, Quirimit, Pablo, Navarro, Renato Sembrano, Ariel Flores and Adrian Malanum of Mangaldan, Ericson Obosa of Manaoag, the Calosa cousins, Wilfredo, Pepito and Rolando of San Jacinto are members of the strong pro-am Pangasinan cycling squad called “Pitaki’ Boyz” being sponsored by Guam-based Jazy Sportswear. The group will be joined by other Pangasinenses who passed the test, namely, Clauna, Esteban, Barnachea, Ardie Bucao of San Fabian and Ninoy Bolleser of San Manuel.
According to the organizers, most of these Pangasinense qualifiers will be segregated in different teams to avoid dominance and monopoly comes the big race on April 20-30.
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