King of the road back on the road

The morning after his coronation as champion of the Air21 Tour Pilipinas 2004, Rhyan Tanguilig was back on the road.

So if you have chanced upon a biker who looks like Tanguilig doing workouts in the Pasig area, chances are that’s the champ himself.

"Hindi pwedeng ihinto bigla ang pagbibisikleta. Dapat gradual ang pahinga. Pero wala rin akong panahon magpahinga dahil may tatakbuhan na kami next month," said Tanguilig, referring to Pagcor Trade Team’s coming stint in the Tour of Korea.

No sooner had he made his mark in the local Tour than Tanguilig started thinking of bringing home honors for the country in the international scene.

"Napaligaya ko na ang sarili ko, sana naman makapagbigay ako ng ligaya sa bayan natin sa susunod," said the local trade team ace, determined to surpass his eighth place finish in the Asian competition level of the recent Tour de Langkawi. He was the best Filipino finisher there.

"Kahit naman kasi Pagcor ang pangalan ng team namin, Pilipinas din ang dala-dala namin. Kaya kung may makuha kaming karangalan, karangalan na rin ng bansa natin," the Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya native, 25, said.

In the next few days, the trade team riders, including Victor Espiritu, Lloyd Reynante, Ronald Gorantes, Alfie Catalan, Lito Atilano, Merculio Ramos and Albert Primero will be back in their Tarlac camp, undergoing a sort of elimination rides since only five riders will compose a team in the Tour of Korea.

"Of course, our riders’ performances in Tour Pilipinas would be a big consideration," said trade team top boss man Louie Carlos.

It goes without saying that Tanguilig is to spearhead their campaign versus the best riders in the region, including the Japanese, Chinese and Kazakhs.

Tanguilig thought his determination and focus on the job at hand were the key factors in his victory in the 21-day, 17-stage Tour Pilipinas.

And he said what made it easier for him to win was the route designed by the organizers in the decisive Baguio-Baguio stage this year.

"Mabuti na lang ginawa nilang babaan ang Marcos Highway at sa Naguilian at Kennon ang ahon. Dahil hirap talaga ako sa Marcos. Apat na beses ako kung bumaba sa bisikleta kapag nageensayo kami sa Marcos," he explained.

"Noong Vigan-Baguio stage nga na sa Marcos ang daan, bumaba rin ako ng bisikleta at stretching muna," he added.

The Baguio-Baguio stage Friday proved to be Tanguilig’s springboard to the championship although he had an earlier decisive move in the Tour’s longest stage from Aparri to Laoag where he first stripped The STAR carrier Enrique Domingo of the yellow jersey. He yielded the Tour leadership back to Domingo two stages later as he was slowed down by the flu in the Team Time Trial race from Laoag to Vigan and in the Vigan-Baguio climb.

He also had his frustration in their stop to his province in Nueva Vizcaya where he failed to shake off then three-day leader Domingo in their climb in the Sierra Madre Range.

It’s no secret that his journey to Tour immortality started there, and he couldn’t thank enough local folks who encouraged him take the sport seriously. He made special mention of Aritao Mayor Ruben Sayo and his uncle Maximo Delcampo.

Just like other ordinary youths, Tanguilig was first hooked with basketball. But realizing he has no future in the game, Tanguilig shifted to cycling at 18.

With a Colnago bike given him by uncle Maximo and with support from Sayo, Tanguilig joined his first competition in the Philippine National Games in Cebu but only emerged among the finishers.

He qualified for the Marlboro Tour the following year but also had a mediocre finish.

Giving up his job as a computer technician to concentrate on the sport last year, Tanguilig began his rise to fame as he gave the national riders, including eventual champion Arnel Quirimit, a whale of a fight in the Tour Pilipinas revival.

Even then, not a few saw the potential in Tanguilig as a champion in the near future.

That time has come.