RP riders hang tough, stay at 4th

JOHOR BAHRU — The Philippines’ Pagcor riders bucked the gruelling Stage 6 of the ninth Tour de Langkawi Wednesday, including the dirty tactics dished out by the Europeans as they remained in fourth place in team play while staying in the thick of things in the individual side of the event.

All but one of the Filipino bets finished in a big bunch in the race which started from the tranquil town of Muar and ended in this shopping haven of Malaysia with Ivan Quaranta of Formagi Pinzolo Fiave taking the lap honors by a whisker and the standings remaining as it were the past four days.

Victor Espiritu, Alfie Catalan, Merculio Ramos, Ryan Tanguilig and Lloyd Lucien Reynante were among the 107-man group that arrived 3 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds with Roland Gorrantes left behind after figuring in a 15-man spill in the 40-km point.

Team Pagcor remained at fourth place behind Japan, Iran and China, while Espiritu and Tanguilig held on to their eighth and ninth places, respectively, in the Asian Individual category with Iran’s Ghader Mizbani still showing the way.

Ramos, whose courageous bid in the first stage netted him the yellow jersey – the first Asian to do so – made another attempt for a breakaway in the first 30 kilometers but this time found himself chased early by some European riders and a couple of Asian rivals who stuck to him to form a 12-man lead pack.

"Masyadong mabilis iyung pace, di ako makalayo kaya di ko na pinilit," said Ramos, who, the previous day, was a victim of dirty tactics when he was hit in the nape by Formaggi Pinzolo’s Corrado Sarrina when he was about to make headway.

Tanguilig quoted a group of Westerners in the peloton as telling him "Filipinos go home." He was also harassed by a European rider during the race where he was hit from behind with the brake’s right clutch.

"E pag siya ang nauuna, ginagantihan ko rin siya sa likod nya."

Catalan also experienced the same foul moves by their Western rivals. "Tinabig ako, e di tinabig ko rin."

"I told the boys not to be cowed by these people. Saka wag ding silang mapipikon para di masira ang diskarte," said Pagcor’s Louie Carlos, the team’s delegation head.

From a total of 147 riders, the peloton is now downed to halfway into the 10-stage race. The tour entourage motors to Pontian, sea-side town one-hour land travel from here, for the start of Stage 7, a 166.7 km flat course to Melaka.