FedEx Tour draws slew of veterans, beginners

The Air21 Express Tour Pilipinas has so far attracted hundreds of riders across the nation, enticing even some of the big guns who once made their mark in the fabled cycling tour.

Two-time King of the Mountain Carlo Guieb has decided to reactivate himself from retirement while Renato Dolosa, Southern Tagalog’s most celebrated rider in the past decade, vowed to take another stab at glory when the 14-stage Air21 Express tour takes off next year.

Guieb, Dolosa and RP team standout Victor Espiritu will lead more than 300 riders during the pre-qualifying races on Nov. 10 and 17 in Pililia, Rizal for Luzon aspirants and Nov. 23 in Argao, Cebu for Visayas and Mindanao participants.

Application forms are available at the Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines at the Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City. Deadline for registration is Oct. 31. Call PCAP president Paquito Rivas or Nel at tel. no. 879-4374 for inquiries.

The riders will submit themselves to a 40-kilometer Individual Time Trial challenge after which the tour selection committee cuts down the field to 120 riders.

The 120 cyclists will be further trimmed down to 100 in a 180-km massed start race from Antipolo City to Real, Quezon on Dec. 1 before finally funneling the best 80 riders from the pack after a 50-km Individual Time Trial final qualifying race the following day.

The lucky 80 riders will be known as "The Express Riders 2003." They will vie for the P200,000 individual prize and a cool million in the team event at stake during the 14-day cycling odyssey tentatively scheduled April 25-May 11.

On the tour’s grand launching late this month, Air21 Express Tour organizers will unveil a new name and logo for the 2003 season.

"Though the tour is still six months away we are already moving heaven and earth just to ensure its success," said Air21 chair Bert Lina, the new godfather of Philippine cycling after putting the tour back on the road last summer.

Lina, along with Air21 president Lito Alvarez, mapped out a five-year restoration plan in a drastic bid to put the country in the world cycling map.

Air21, the sole licensee of FedEx in the Philippines, rescued the tour from near extinction by coming up with a four-stage Express Tour of Calabarzon five months ago.