First time

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE first time a multi-stage bicycle road race was held in the country was in 1955. That was the Manila-Vigan run won by Sta. Rosa, Laguna son Antonio Arzala.

That event, organized by the late Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta, a native of Bayambang, also marked the birth of professional cycling in this country.

The following year, a bigger and more well-organized bikathon was staged, a week-long road battle called “Tour of Luzon.”

Again the sturdy rider Arzala topped the event. Local boy Rufino Gabot from Manaoag landed a close second.

The year after, Gabot captured the tiara while his brother-in-law, the late Ignacio Jacinto, also from Manaoag, bagged the first runner-up plum.

And the rest is a history.

Then and until now, our country is sending our best cyclists abroad for international competitions. Records show most of these nationals are from our province.

In fact, last December, two of our local riders, Alfie Catalan from San Manuel and Marites Bitbit from Malasiqui, both members of our national squad that competed in the 2007 Southeast Asia Games in Thailand, brought home two gold medals.

That proved anew and perhaps disproved any lingering doubt about our image as the premier riders of this two-wheeled event.

Yet, despite the abundance of prominent Pangasinan cyclists that could easily compose a powerful national squad and give our neighboring countries some stiff competition, there never was an all-Pangasinense squad that competed abroad.

But it will now happen for the first time, and it will be done by Pangasinan’s best group, the well-known Pitaki Boyz of my son Jazy Garcia.

Under the sponsorship of Guam-Mangaldan based Jazy Sportswear-Beacon with some assistance from Jazy’s friends abroad like Blandino Caguioa of Houston, Texas; Rey Corpuz of Hawai, Johndel Beach Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas; and Joseph Husslien of Guam, the strong Pangasinan squad representing the Philippines enplanes on Tuesday, April 1, to compete in the five-day 2008 Tour de East Java in Indonesia scheduled April 2-6.

The all-Pangasinan squad is composed of Ericson Obosa of Manaoag, Sherwin Carrera of San Fabian, Merculio Ramos, Jr. of Binalonan, Reynaldo Navarro of San Jacinto and Renato Sembrano of Mangaldan,

The five are all former national team members.

2003 Tour Pilipinas titlist Arnel Quirimit of Pozorrubio was supposed to join the trip but, unfortunately, was not able to renew his passport on time, so he will be replaced by Sembrano, according to Jazy.

Jazy said their next sojourn, probably Guam, will be a sure trip for Quirimit.

The Pangasinenses will face a formidable competition from  host Indonesia which is fielding five squads; Japan and Qatar which are sending three and two teams, respectively; and one each from Australia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hongkong and Belanda for a total of 110 participants. 

I was officially invited to join the Pangasinan delegation but I declined due to my hectic schedule organizing provincial races here, especially the star-studded Bangus Festival Cycling Classic set April 19.

More details on this project next week.

* * * * * *

While I was writing this piece, my cp rang and I received the bad news from Fe Pagarigan about the demise of her brother, cyclist Edgardo Pagarigan, due to a still unknown disease.

Ed, my protege and my former teammate at Cosmos team during the late 70’s, died at his parents’ house at barangay Bolaoen, Bugallon.

His first big achievement in cycling was when he won two gold medals in the 1978 National Cycling Championship, both in road races.

But the greatest honor that he gave to this province was when he bagged the gold medal in track events during the 1981 SEA Games and silver during the 1983 Asian Cycling Championship.

His 1983 silver medal victory was his ticket to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games to represent the Philippines but was unsuccessful in his favorite event, the 30-kilometer points race.

After that short stay at the 1984 LA Olympics, he met Iloilo born Fil-Am nurse Cecil Parker in San Francisco, California and married her. He later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

I still recall that before Ed’s stint with the national squad, Ed briefly studied at Luzon Colleges (now University of Luzon) where he took up criminology and represented Dagupan City during IRAA and Palarong Pambansa winning golds both in track events.

I ask our readers to pray for his eternal repose.

I lost a friend, who’s like a brother, and one who gave honor to our province.

May he rest in peace.

(Readers may reach columnist at biking.jess@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/
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