By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

I WAS surprised to learn from a cycling enthusiast the other day that the annual multi-stage bikefest called “Ronda Pilipinas” will not be held next year but will instead to be conducted in 2024. I hope it’s not true, or another fake news.

The fellow who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that the yearly bikefest sponsored by LBC Express will be done biennially, no longer annually, starting the year 2024. He didn’t explain but if true, I surmise it can only be about money matters. Being an experienced promoter of professional and amateur cycling races in the province, I know it takes multi-millions of pesos to conduct a multi-stage cycling road race especially if it’s a professional event.

This annual multi-stage bikefest that was inaugurated in year 2011 was won by our own Pangasinan elite rider Santy Barnachea of Umingan town. He was not successful in defending his title the following year. It was won by Metro Manila veteran cyclist Mark Galedo. Barnachea regained the crown in 2015 after our local riders failed to win again in 2013 and 2014. It was his fourth and last tiara at 40 years of age. He was the oldest to accomplish the feat as champion since national Tour was born in 1955 won by _____ Sta. Rosa, Laguna son of the late Antonio Arzala.

A unique Ronda Pilipinas race was conducted in 2016. It was usually in ten days and usually run in Luzon area only, but to the surprise of cycling fans, especially this writer, the 2016 version traversed the entire archipelago, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. And instead of only one overall champion to be crowned, a champion was heralded in each of three islands races: NCR rider Jan Paul Morales won the Luzon and Mindanao sections while Villasis (Pangasinan) son Ronald Oranza seized the Visayan section. Unfortunately, this was only done once. I don’t know why. And finally, Oranza, after years of many attempts, grabbed the coveted ten-day 2018 Ronda Pilipinas diadem, convincingly.

Tour de France rider Francesco Mancebo of Spain who was invited, conquered the Ronda Pilipinas in 2019 while Philippine national team member and Ronda Pilipinas veteran George Oconer wrested the tiara in 2020. No Ronda was held in 2021 obviously because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Ronald Lomotos of San Felipe, Zambales finally won his first Ronda Pilipinas crown, the very first Zambaleño to achieve the feat.

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After a week’s break to accommodate some late team entries purposely to make the tournament more competitive, challenging and more colorful, the province wide cagefest dubbed as “Excellent Noodles Cup Pangasinan DBL Inter-Town/City/School U18 Basketball Tournament 2022” resumed hostilities on October 15 and 16 in different venues. The Central Pangasinan matches on October 15 was hosted by Calasiao at the Sir Melan Gym while the October 16 affair was played at the San Fabian Municipal Gym. The Eastern Pangasinan games on October 15 were held at the Alcala Municipal Gym. while the October 16 skirmishes will be played at MYDC Mangaldan. In the Western Pangasinan side, the October 15 battles were played at the Binmaley Catholic School Gym while the October 16 hostilities will be hosted by San Carlos City Gym.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? JOHN 14: 8-9

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