Pagnanawon tops second leg of RECYCLE Series

Former Tour Pilipinas champion Boy Pagnanawon showed he can be still be at par with younger, tougher competitors by topping the second leg of the weekly RECYCLE Cycling Series last Saturday at the Mandaue City reclamation area.

In the criterium race shortened due to another activity around the area, group after group tried to get away from the pack.

After all the trying, three riders succeeded and broke away led by Xerox Lauron.

However, the three-man lead group failed to sustain their momentum as they were eventually overtaken by Pagnanawon.

"Too much playing cat-and-mouse led to their being caught by the fast charging group led by Pagnanawon," said RECYCLE secretary Dr. Jose Vicente Araneta, a sports columnist of this paper.

Pagnanawon, who competes under the banner of team Kalit, was trailed by three Lapu-lapu/Rut riders in Ciano Dignos, Haylin Bardaje and Richard Patalinghug. Velonauts' Xerox Lauron finished fifth.

Though he may not have won the top post, Bardaje still is in command in the overall individual classification with 59 points. Orlan Toring is second with 42 points, while Henry Tampus is at third spot with 35 points.

Bardaje's team, Lapulapu-Rut, also pads its lead in the overall team classification with 121 points followed by Velonauts with 72 points and Quickflight-J Marketing with 60.

The fourth to seventh in the overall standings are Spark Kleen with 43 points, Kalit and SC with identical 35 points and Laskag with five points in the event sponsored by Glenn Rasco, Al Figer and the South Jersey Cycling team, Spark Kleen Laundry Powder, Frank Gatdula and Luzvimin-USA Cycling Club, Independent Fabrication and www.pinoybikes.com.