SUMMARY
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ANGELES CITY, Philippines – After losing the title to the Iranians in the last edition, the limelight will be on local bets this time as ten Filipino riders from two teams will try to reclaim glory in the 5th Le Tour de Filipinas which kicks off on Monday, April 21, in Clark Field, Pampanga.
Facing 13 foreign squads – nine continental, three clubs, and a national team – this year, Pinoy riders take center stage as 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines and Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance go all-out in proving their mettle against seasoned teams from all over the world in the only Union Cycliste Internationale-sanctioned race in the country.
2012 Le Tour de Filipinas winner Baler Ravina will be leading a veteran 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines crew as he tries to bounce back from a dismal result last year which saw him finish in the middle of the pack.
Other decorated local bets will also aim to salvage pride for the Philippines as two-time Philippine Tour champions Mark Galedo of Team 7-Eleven and Philippine Navy’s Santy Barnachea boost their respective squads’ chances against a mix of Le Tour veterans and newcomers.
Joining Ravina and Galedo for the 7-Eleven Roadbike side are Cris Joven, Marcelo Felipe, and Mark Julius Bordeos while Lloyd Reynante, Joel Calderon, Jorge Oconer, and John Renee Muir complete the Philippine Navy cast.
The Filipinos will grind it out against continental sides AISAN Racing Team and Team Ukyo of Japan, KSPO Cycling Team from Korea, Indonesia’s P.T. Pegasus Cycling Team, CCN Cycling Team of Brunei, Singapore’s OCBC Cycling Team, Ireland’s Polygon Sweet Nice, Tabriz Shahdari Ranking of Iran, and Malaysia’s Terengganu Cycling Team.
Club teams such as Mongolia’s Atilla Cycling Club, Satalyst Giant Racing Team from Australia, and Track Team Astana of Kazakhstan, together with the national team of United Arab Emirates, will also join the fray in this year’s Le Tour.
Acid Test
This year’s edition of Le Tour de Filipinas will also serve as the national team aspirants’ stage to prove their worth to represent the Philippines in the 17th Asian Games slated on September 19 to October 4 in Incheon, South Korea.
Pushing the local riders to give their all in this tournament, PhilCycling president and Tagaytay City congressman Bambol Tolentino assured that the top Filipino finishers will have one wheel into the national pool for the biennial games.
“The Le Tour de Filipinas has always been a determinant on how strong our cyclists are,” Tolentino said.
“It is an international race participated in not only by the best cyclists in Asia but also potent riders from around the world.”
Central Luzon in the spotlight
Unlike last year in which Le Tour de Filipinas traversed through the heart of Cagayan Region, the 15 teams which will see action in the 616.1-kilometer long 2014 edition will test some of the country’s most modern highways in Central Luzon Region with Stage 1 kicking off on Monday, April 21 at Clark Field in Angeles City, Pampanga.
The Day 1 leg will send the cyclists through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and will culminate in Olongapo City after 160 kilometers.
Stage 2 then goes back northward to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecijja while Stage 3 ends in Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya. The last stage will challenge the riders as they snake through the mountains of Kayapa on the way to the finish line in Burnham Park in Baguio City. – Rappler.com
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