Deceit and exploitation

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

I WAS stunned and saddened on learning that the organizers of the recently concluded nine-day Tour of Luzon bikathon did not award cash prizes to the individual and team winners. This was reported to me first by former Tour titlist Arnel Quirimit from Pozorrubio two days before the Tour ended, It was confirmed by other Pangasinan riders, Sherwin Carrera and Renato Sembrano, from San Fabian and Mangaldan, respectively, when they visited my place just after the big race. The three who participated in the road battle were initially unaware of the totally unheard of policy on the prizes, which also shocked majority of the contestants.

Quirimit called it plain deceit while Carrera and Sembrano described it as an exploitation of the participants by the organizers, its top honcho running a partylist group and heads the main sponsoring company. The indignant three said these organizers (whom they declined to identify to avoid reprisal) just used the cyclists to promote the LPGMA partylist for the coming May 10 elections. They trio said majority of the participants promised not to join the same race next year if it will be run by the same organizers.

I told them that they should have asked the organizers in the first place about the amount of the overall prizes before the start of the race. They said, yes, they did but the organizers only gave them information about the lap prizes, nothing more, and nothing else. The riders did not do a meticulous check, they were confident that they will receive basically the same cash prizes last year. I asked them if the foreigners from U.S., South Africa, Canada and Hong Kong who participated in the event also complained but they didn’t know. Their concern is theirs.

I told them too that they should file a formal protest with the assistance of the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), the government agency that takes care of the welfare of pro athletes. The three nixed the idea and decided not to waste time anymore and just stressed their non-participation anymore next year if the same people will be in charge.

History says the pioneer of multi-stage bicycle road racing in the country was born in 1956 and was called “Tour of Luzon.” It was created and led by the late Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta of Bayambang, Pangasinan. It was temporarily stopped in 1970 and revived in 1973. (This writer won the 10-day event). From 1973 to 1977, it was dominated by Pangasinenses (aside from me), namely: Teodorico Rimarim of Basista, Samson Etrata of Binalonan, and Modesto Bonzo of Sual. Since then, under different managements, the summer bikathon has been given various names like Tour of PICCA, Tour ng Pilipinas, Marlboro Tour, Golden Tour, Padyak Pinoy and again the Tour of Luzon. It’s so sad to know that the oldest, most famous and prestigious, well-respected bicycle race in the country was misused for political purposes. The prestige of the race was tainted by unscrupulous people with vested interests. For me, yes, you could use the cyclists to earn some revenues to compensate for your organizing efforts but it should be done fair and square with everybody involved being properly compensated, especially if the event was deemed successful. That’s how I do it in all races I organize, and I got no complaints.

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