Valenzuela dominates PhilCycling's road race

MANILA, Philippines - Irish Valenzuela, Baler Ravina and Sherwin Carrera finished 1-2-3 in a bunched finish along with three others as the cream of the crop of local cycling gathered in Tagaytay City Monday for the PhilCycling national open for road.

Valenzuela was at the forefront of the six-man sprint finish after the 150-km out-and-back one-day race in Tagaytay City, clocking four hours and 45.93 seconds to emerge No. 1 in the open that served as qualifier for the members of the national pool for 2010.

The who’s who in Philippine cycling made up the top six finishers, with Tomas Martinez finishing fourth, Renato Sembrano winding up fifth and 2009 Liquigaz Tour of Luzon champion Mark John Guevarra coming in sixth.

The race was organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-recognized PhilCycling led by Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Rounding out the top 10 finishers in the elite competition were Alfredo Asuncion (seventh, four minutes and 41.23 seconds behind), Nelson Mangahis (eighth, 4:57.4 behind), Jason Garillo (ninth, 5:09.54 behind) and Daniel Asto (10th, 5:09.54 behind).

A total of 106 elite riders – a great majority of whom are veterans of the Padyak Pinoy and Tour of Luzon – answered the starting gun of the open that would select members of the pool for the national teams to the Asian Championships in Dubai in April and the Track Asia Cup in Ipoh, Bangkok and Jakarta later in the year.

The junior riders – 18 and under – also refused to be left out in the event that utilized high-tech electronic timing devices (transponders) courtesy of Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketers Association head Arnel Ty and backed by Tolentino, PhilCycling road commission chairman Bong Sual and Dynamic Outsource Solutions, Inc.

George Oconer, son of national coach Bert, a veteran of the Southeast and Asian Games and the Asian Championships, topped the 95-km race with a clocking of 2:47:02.31. Rustom Lim was second 2:16.76 behind, followed by John Mier in third 2:29:29 behind.