Sports Eye
Humiliation
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
PHARR, TEXAS—-AFTER staying eight days in Fort Worth at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Giles Honeycut where my twins Raisa and Raina reside, and three days in Houston compliments of the Caguioa cycling brothers Amor and Blann and Gilbert Mangahis, I decided to travel to this Texas small city of Pharr to visit the graves of my father Jesus, my auntie Josie and my grandparents Felipe and Severiana. It’s a chance for me also to meet my three football buff- brothers Rolando, Rogelio and Roberto and sister Angie, my cousins Dago, Pete, Donato and Rosalinda and my only living auntie Idolina and the cousin of my dad the 93 year-old Monce.
It was here where I learned from the website that the four-day 2015 Le Tour de Filipinas was dominated by the foreigners. The report says it’s only the two-time Tour king Mark Lexer Galedo, 29, who put up a good fight against the invaders placing by second overall won by a Frenchman named Thomas Lebas.
Galedo was the only Filipino to land inside the ‘magic ten’ and the other best Filipino performer was Jun Rey Navarra landing 12th overall. Philippines fielded two squads, our six-man national team and the Tour veteran 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines squad. Surprisingly 7-Eleven was the better team than our Nationals landing fourth while our Nationals finished fifth out of 14 teams that participated.
Something was wrong with our Nationals. The remaining best ten Filipino contestants were nowhere to be found on the top fifteen especially our Pangasinan bets despite having the familiarity with the terrain and their advantage in the Baguio climb.
Our Pangasinan rider the 2012 Le Tour winner and mountain king Baler Ravina was unable to surprise the visitors unlike what he did three years ago. Instead, it was Ravina who was surprised by the visitors. Some say this is a humiliation on the part of our Filipino riders but some say it’s not because Galedo came in a close second with only 1:57 minutes deficit against Lebas. Well, I’ll leave it to you cycling fans to judge if this was a humiliation for the Philippines, or not.
The Ronda Pilipinas 2015 started February 15 and I was told there are no foreign competitors this year. Unfortunately like the Le Tour this year, I will not be able again to watch the multi-stage race since for I’ll be in America for at least two months or more for health reason. But with God’s help and Our Lady of Manaoag, things are doing fine so far.
In fact, I was given at least eight bike races to be sponsored by Excellent Noodles of Alex Billan to direct in Pangasinan like I did in Laoac, Mangaldan, Alaminos City, Mapandan to name some, but I have to turn it over to my only cycling son Jazy to take my position temporarily knowing he can manage it successfully like he did for the January 31 Binmaley Cycling Challenge.
To God Be the Glory. Rest assured there will be more cycling races to be organized particularly the project of our Pangasinan PNP OIC Col. Reynaldo Biay when I return to Pinas,
I have to return to Houston on February 14 because I was invited by the president of the Pangasinan Association of Houston, the cycling fanatic Mr. Jun Marcella formerly from San Fabian, to attend their party where I expect to meet some of my former classmates in Mangaldan National High School. Of course.
I will be staying with the Caguioa families for three days before traveling back to Fort Worth, Texas where I’m tentatively based. Attending the Pangasinan get-together in Houston will be my first after my countless visits in this city, home to the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets led by point-guard James Harden, recently a Manila visitor.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For God commanded, saying “Honor your father and your mother; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ MATTHEW 15: 4
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