Vat Riders, Patrol 117, Postmen loom as tour favorites

WITH an equal mix of superb flat and mountain climbers, the VAT Riders, Postmen and Patrol 117 are expected to seriously contend for the overall championship when the Tour Pilipinas 2003 presented by Air21 kicks off on April 26.

"We have a very balanced field," said Art Cayabyab, the Tour’s race manager," because all the 12 teams consist of the so-called highwaymen‚ and those who can climb the mountains very well,"

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-backed VAT Riders of Commissioner Guillermo Parayno will be skippered by Felix Celeste, the Postmen of the Department of Transportation and Communications under Secretary Leandro Mendoza will have national cyclist Enrique Domingo as captain while Bernard Luzon will spearhead Patrol 117 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government of Secretary Joey Lina.

The three teams, including the Drug Busters also of the DILG and the EcoSavers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, hope to spread the ideals of their respective government advocacies when they take the road in the revival of the annual summer cycling spectacle that would take 18 days ending May 11.

The BIR, which hopes to use the Tour to send the message of further educating the people of how taxes help improve the country’s economic and social climate, said its regional and district offices in all stops of the Tour will go all out to cheer for the VAT Riders.

The 32-year-old Celeste, who flew back from Italy where he works with his wife just to join the Tour and whose best finish in the previous Tour was fourth in 1992, will be ably backed by Marcial Robosa and Sherwin Jamsay, a strong pedal-pusher on the upslopes. Also on the BIR team coached by Elpidio Camat are Joel Calderon, Avelino Bayuga, Benito Lopez and Robert Tal