Sports Eye
Another first time
By Jesus A. Garcia
WE cycling buffs who followed the just concluded 2014 Ronda Pilipinas International from day 1 to day 14 saw how the Butuan City-born Riemon Lapaza impressively engineered a scintillating run in the penultimate stage (13th) to dislodge the race leader and the heavily favoured two-time Tour king Mark Galedo to win the crown. That gave Mindanao its first-ever victory in multi-stage racing. After 59 years from the birth of this multi-stage competition, the gritty rider finally captured the revered Tour title for Mindanao after a fourth try. While Mindanaon athletes are well-known in boxing, swimming and track and field, no one really shone in cycling until Lapaza, 27, a virtual unknown before the 14-day road saga, stole the show from the favourites, especially Galedo He rode consistently and won his first major title that stunned everybody, including this writer. “It’s like a dream, I could not believe it,” said Lapaza after crossing the last finish line of the race and was officially declared as the new Ronda champion. Yes, this is the first time for a Mindanao cyclist to become an instant millionaire. From now on I will call him “Wonder Boy” of Philippine cycling.
Like Gonzalo Recodos of Laoac in the 1963 Tour of Luzon, this writer in the 1977 Tour of PICCA, and Paquito Rivas in the 1979 Marlboro Tour, Lapaza is the fourth professional cyclist to win the annual biggest race of the country without winning a single stage. Still unike Recodos, Rivas and this writer, who placed second and third in many stages, Lapaza only placed second once and that was the first stage won by Cris Joven. Like the three of us, he did the most essential thing in multi-stage racing – to be consistent.
It could be frustrating to win many stages and still not win the overall leadership. That already happened to many cyclists, not only here in the Philippines but also in the three world’s big races like the Tour de France, Giro Italia, and Vuelta Espana. The main battle in big time racing is to top the overall standing and not so much to weigh in stage winning and it can be won by being consistent.
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UNLUCKY NUMBER 13 FOR GALEDO? Many Filipinos are superstitious, believing that 13 is an unlucky number. The skyscrapers in Metro Manila attest to this. They do not have a 13th floor. Another was the Apollo 13 mission that did not reach the moon because of engine problems. And this is what many believee to have happened to the two-time Tour champion Galedo. He relinquished his lead to Lapaza in the 13th stage and lost what could have been his third national diadem. But if 13 is unlucky to Galedo, it was the opposite for Lapaza. He seized the lead in the unlucky 13th stage.
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DIPPING PANGASINAN CYCLING For the first time after so many years, only two of nine local bets in this year’s Ronda landed in the top ten and the two were even surprisingly at the cellar positions. They are three-time titleholder Santy Barnachea of Umingan (7th) and last year’s second runner-up Ronald Oranza of Villasis. Conspicuously gone from the top contenders list were my town mate Joshua Carino who placed 5th overall last year, 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas king Baler Ravina of Asingan and the young and promising Mark Julius Bordeos of Laoac and Mark Julius Bonzo of Sual. There must besomething wrong with Pangasinan cycling these days. I will have a talk with them to undersand what really happened and perhaps we can find a soultion. This is our sport and we have to protect the province’s image.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. THESSALONIANS 1: 8-9
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