Another first in PH cycling event
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
“THERE’S always a first time in life,” as the maxim says. This is indisputable adage that may occur unexpectedly to anyone in our daily lives. Yes, even sports activities are not spared from this axiom. In fact, it happened during the ten-day 2022 Ronda Pilipinas that ended last Sunday, March 20.
It was Ronald Lomotos of Philippine Navy/Standard Insurance (PNSI), a little-known dusky fellow from San Felipe, Zambales that scored a major upset in Philippine cycling history that stunned many cycling avid aficionados, including this writer when he ruled the mountainous penultimate (9th) stage of the scheduled ten stages bikathon.
I was there at the finish line at Burnham Park in Baguio City on March 19 together with my relative Armando Aquino Lalata and the well-known national vlogger Dwain Badua of Dwaentertainment, for the 174-kilometer penultimate mountainous stretch from Santiago City, Isabela to the city of Pines. We heard the wheel-by-wheel account on radio how the Ilocano speaking Zambaleño sturdy rider Lomotos conquered the famous Kayapa and Bokod mountainous tough stretch in Nueva Vizcaya and crossed the finish line all by his lonesome amid cheers of the huge cycling fanatic crowd that gathered. His scintillating finish enabled him to erase his nine minutes deficit away from his team skipper Villasis native Ronald Oranza and wrested the overall leadership by 21 seconds and eventually the championship. Oranza arrived fourth after two Excellent Noodles standouts Joshua Pascual and Joshua Mari Bonifacio for second and third of the day, respectively. Two other PNSI stalwarts Mangaldan, Pangasinan born 2018 Le Tour de Filipinas winner Joshua Cariño and Jeremy Lizardo were at distant 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the overall standing. Back-to-back Ronda titlist (2016-2017) Jan Paul Morales, the overall leader in the early stages eventually landed seventh in the general classification.
I noted after the race that for the first time in the history of Philippine professional cycling that we have two contestants whose first names is Ronald, landed first and second in the overall championship and both riders belonged to the same team. Not only that, also for the first time in Philippines multi-stage cycling history, we have three whose first names -Joshua – were involved in the race this year and the three Joshuas finished in the final top ten overall: Joshua Cariño (3rd), Joshua Mari Bonifacio (4th) and Joshua Pascual (9th). I also keenly noted that the PNSI squad is the dominant force in this annual summer sport spectacle now on its 11th edition (called off last year because of COVID-19 pandemic). First PNSI to be crowned was the Umingan stalwart Santy Barnachea in 2015, first back-to-back champion Jan Paul Morales of Metro Manila in 2016-2017, Ronald Oranza of Villasis in 2018 and George Oconer of Metro Manila held early in 2020 before the pandemic hits our country.
My recollection of the closest margin in Philippine cycling record held for the first time was during the 1981 Marlboro Tour with Fermin Zabala of Bautista, Pangasinan who lost the title with just 12.8 seconds against provincemate Jacinto Sicam of San Manuel. That was repeated in 1982 Marlboro Tour with my teammate and townmate Ruben Cariño of Mangaldan who lost by just 11.6 seconds overall. The largest margin in any Philippine national cycling Tour was during the 1967 Tour of Luzon with this writer finishing a far second to the late Cornelio Padilla, Jr. by 42 minutes.
The 1991 Marlboro Tour also produced a ‘first time’ with San Nicolas town’s brainy cyclist Bernardo Llentada outsmarting overall leader Carlo Guieb in the race-against-the-clock 17th and final stage to win the crown, using an aero dynamic bicycle.
* * * *
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. PSALMS 90: 1
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
