Cycling head bares plan to win gold in Rio 2016

INCHEON, South Korea – Cycling president and Tagaytay Rep. Bambol Tolentino said the association would soon launch a full-blown cycling program following the gold-medal feat of Fil-American Danny Caluag in BMX cycling in the 17th Asian Games here.

After 14 long days of the Games, cycling came up with the country’s first gold medal, raising hopes of a gold medal chance in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Caluag is considered Asia’s top BMX rider, who was, in fact, the only Asian entry in the 2012 London Olympics and was the runaway winner in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar as well as in this year’s Asian Games. Although he finished last among 32 riders in London, his coaches said he could be a factor in the 2016 Rio Olympics, given more exposure in the sport through competitions in the UCI-sanctioned US and European Circuits.

Tolentino said part of the cycling program is a project, originally called Project Sagitsit, intended to promote BMX (motocross bike) among cycling enthusiasts and prepare elite BMX athletes for international competitions not only in the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympics but also in US and European pro circuits for elite riders who want to become professionals.

Cycling is one sport where one can ride as a pro or amateur in any international competitions provided he has a license issued by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

Another Fil-American will soon be in the country to train under the BMX component of the cycling program.

“We will introduce her soon to the Philippine Sports Commission,” said Tolentino, who expressed elation over the success of Caluag in the BMX competition at the Ganghwa Asiad BMX track on an isolated track of land at the foot of the hills outside Incheon the other day.

The cycling association has not given BMX much attention because of the lack of mass-based support probably since it is new and is a high-risk sport that exposes riders to injuries and serious accidents.

But given the proper orientation, cyclists could be hooked to it because the injuries are not life-threatening – just mere bruises and bumps that one sustains also in a road race or a game of physical basketball. The padding in BMX cycling is thick enough to cushion the impact of a fall.

When the sport was introduced in 2011, it was not given much thought because the cycling organization was hounded by a crisis that brought about leadership disputes that threatened the stability of the organization.

The crisis reached a high in 2009 when an entire cycling team was disallowed to compete in the 2009 SEA Games because 11 of its 12 members didn’t have a license.

In 2011, Danny Caluag came in to compete for the Philippines in the Palembang SEA Games which was introducing the sport to prepare SEA for the London Olympics where the sport was making a debut.

Caluag was disqualified because he was carrying a US-issued UCI license.

Two other Fil-Americans were also disbarred for carrying US and Phl-issued UCI licenses each.

With one side of the warring factions within the cycling association finally yielding the leadership in 2012 during elections for the Philippine Olympic Committee, Tolentino was recognized the “legitimate” president and started building an association from the ashes.

The launching of a cycling program, to be renamed eventually to replace the “Sagitsit” concept, is patterned after that of the successful Gilas Pilipinas and Azkals projects, which have gained enormous popularity.

The launching will be held right after the Asian Games, Tolentino said.

While Tolentino is launching the project, Caluag and his coach Gregory Romero are continuing their “on-to-Rio” personal mission consisting of training, gym work, nutrition, skills development and competition and using Romero’s reverse engineering approach.

To do this, however, Caluag needs to hold back his nursing internship in the US to give more attention to the program.

“That will entail some funding because Danny already has a kid,” said Romero, also a Fil-American.

Caluag’s bonus from the government of P1 million for winning the gold medal – the P2.5M new bonus is not yet approved by Congress – could start off the campaign, but he will be needing more than that since his training will be in the US where the professional circuits are also being held.

Tolentino’s Sagitsit could fast-track their journey to Rio.