Sports Eye
Pangasinan’s best bets struck out by illness in 2019 LTdF
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
TAIPEI – I always try to get out of the country if I need a respite, and if I
have the means. This is why I’m here again in this dazzling and elegant capital
city of Taiwan for a five-day break and, of course, to explore anew the city.
Unlike in November, 2017, I came here this time with my pal, the well-known
Philippine Daily Inquirer sports columnist Percy Della and his wife, the former
Miss Lily Gonzaga.
I arrived here last Monday (June 17) but thanks to internet I managed to I
follow the results of the two days of this year’s five-day Le Tour de Filipinas
(LTdF) which ended on June 18 in Legaspi City. It’ sad that our two Pangasinan
best bets led by the defending champion, my town mate Joshua Cariño of Mangaldan and last year Ronda Pilipinas king
Ronald Oranza, both members of the Philippine national team for this year’s SEA
Games finished 62nd and 65th, respectively, in the 129.5
kilometers first stage, that started and ended in the majestic city of
Tagaytay, won by the champion Jeroen Meijers of The Netherlands. The duo
crossed the finish line together with slow time of 3:35:36 hours far adrift to
Meijers 3:06:59. Their poor performance exceeded the time limit and that
disqualified them to join the the second
stage based on the rules of the sanctioning world governing body Union Cycliste
International (UCI). According to Cariño, foot cramps caught him at the halfway mark while
Oranza suffered from a bum stomach a day before the grand start.
Some critics say these were mere alibis but knowing them, I don’t think so.
They couldn’t have become champions last year if they didn’t have the vigor and
guts to win a multi-stage bikathon like LTdF or Ronda. Suffering foot cramps
and stomach trouble can happen to the best of them. Once you suffer any of
these, for sure you are finished for the day and will take days to recover.
That happened to me in 1965 and 1966 Tour of Luzon but luckily I managed to
survive the grueling 15-day race won by the late Jose Sumalde of Bicol and
Cornelio Padilla, Jr. of Concepcion, Tarlac respectively. I landed second, and ninth overall.
Last year, Cariño ruled the four-day LTdF with Oranza, Cariño’s brother Daniel Ven and Sto. Tomas son Dominic Perez made it top ten, but this time no Filipino occupied a top ten position in the general classification dominated by foreigners. The best that a Filipino could manage this season was 11th finish by Nueva Ecija’s rider Marcelo Felipe. 2014 titlist John Mark Galedo finished 15th.
This year was the tenth edition of LTdF. It was first won David McCann of Ireland in 2010. Yes, three Filipinos had already conquered this annual international bikefest, and I’m happy glad to say that the first to win was Baler Ravina of Asingan in 2012, Galedo of Marikina City in 2014 and Cariño last year. For your info my dear readers and cycling aficionados, Cariño was the 22nd Pangasinanse to win a national multi-stage cycling title started by the legend Rufino Gabot of Manaoag in 1957. I’m confident that more Pangasinenses will become champions in the following years because it is our sport and always proud to be. Let’s wait and see.
* * * *
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Therefore, just as through one-man sin
entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men,
because all sinned. ROMANS 5: 12
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