The road to Tour de France

By Jesus A. Garica Jr.

TODAY’s chat in the sporting world is focused on the ongoing 2008 Tour de France (TDF). Started last July 5, this multi-stage bicycle race, considered the toughest, longest, richest and the most prestigious in the world, will culminate this Sunday, July 20. As of this writing, last year’s first runner-up Cade Evans of Australia is up front after 12 days of racing. And believe it or not, Evans leads by just a mere second over little known rider Frank Schelck from Luxembourg and 38 seconds ahead of American Christian Vandevelde. This is the first time after 95 years that an overall leader leads his closest pursuer by just one second. It’s really unbelievable and a history, ‘ika nga.

Sports aficionados especially in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Africa and here in our country are talking about this multi-stage bikefest and foremost in their mind today is the slim lead of Evans. Stage-by-stage, the road battle is being shown on TV everyday that I never miss. I guess you are watching too, dear readers.

Some friends of mine who are cycling buffs ask me why not even a single Filipino (like me as a former Tour of Luzon champion) to this day has entered this kind of bikathon where, they believe, we Filipino cyclists may not win but at least give stiff competition to the continental giants.

I told them it’s a colossal commitment and agony to enter the TDF. Based on the rules, I, for example, having been a world licensed cyclist during my era, would first have to go outside the country with my team to join many UCI sanctioned races especially the classic ones like the Giro d’ Italia, Vuelta de Espana, Tour de Langkawi, Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice Tour and the World Cycling Championships to name a few. And we have to win some of the races to earn enough points to enter the magic 20 list in the whole world. And in the event we pass that test, our sponsor or sponsors are mandated to pay the entry fee amounting to millions of U.S. dollars (sorry, I forgot the exact amount) and, of course, to follow all the strict rules and regulations of the TDF.

In fact — like what I said in my last article – even the 1998 Asia’s best Won Kam Po of Hong Kong who was rated once the 30th best cyclist in the world in 1997 was not able to join TDF because-other than him-his teammates failed to accumulate enough points.

I thought he should have been hired by any cycling company in the world but that did not happen. I don’t know the ‘behind the scene’ story about him really but I suspect it was a matter of discrimination. I may be wrong. The TDF competitors are all Caucasians and Latinos.

So the record says no Asian cyclist has ever tested his capability to compete against the best in the world.

But I’m not losing hope that someday soon an Asian rider — whether Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Iranian, Chinese — will emerge as one of the top ten best in the world.

My example is our boxer Manny Pacquiao. Who would have guessed that the guy from Gen. Santos City will rise to be the best boxer in this planet pound-for-pound?

Nobody, right?

And remember, the Chinese placed second to U.S. as far as overall medal tallies were concerned during the 2004 Athens Olympics. The Sinos improved tremendously after four Olympics tries.

And my prognosis is they have a very good chance this time to dislodge the Americans in the coming Beijing Olympics.

Why? Because the quadrennial games will be played in their own turf. It would really be hard to beat them at their own territory.

Mark my words.

* * * * *

Congrats to my friend, the hardworking Dominador “Boy” Rayos for being elected as the new president of the Dagupan City East Rotary Club. Rayos is also the director for student affairs of the University of Pangasinan.

Also to my cumpadre Angel C. Gumarang for helping his team to victory in the open category in basketball of the Barangay Bonuan Gueset Summer Sportsfest 2008 held last Sunday. Gumarang is the barangay chairman of Bonuan Gueset.

Blow-out naman diyan, dos senores.

(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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