Rhum riders down, but in high spirits

APARRI — Aside from chasing fame and the fortune that goes with it, Team Tanduay has accomplished a couple of very important things even with the Air21 2004 Tour Pilipinas still far from being over.

"We have been able to show everyone the spirit of competition in us and we are spreading goodwill through this event," said Larry Li, head of the Tanduay delegation. "There are more important things than winning. Whatever happens, we have sent our message across."

Riding to "Celebrate the Filipino Spirit," the theme of Tanduay’s 150th Anniversary celebration this year, the Rhum Riders are slowly but surely climbing up the standings in the team competition with skipper Arnel Quirimit spearheading a last-ditch stand.

From 12th and last just four laps ago, the Rhum Riders are now in ninth spot, thanks largely to a strong performance in Saturday’s ninth lap which saw four members of the team finish in the Top 10.

"Arnel is getting healthier by the day and this has made the team’s morale go up," Li added. "The riders are rallying behind their team captain and this is a good sign. We still expect to bag a respectable finish."

Tanduay finished fourth last year and the Rhum Riders came into this Tour seeking to better that effort. But Quirimit was hit by the flu, and the team went down with him.<