Cossack riders cop team plum

TAGAYTAY – Skipper Renato Sambrano spearheaded a final lap charge yesterday to power the Cossack Vodka Riders to the team title of the Tour Pilipinas Tanduay Padyak Pinoy 2006.

The Philippine team member checked in fifth in the punishing 147.4-kilometer grind from here and back as Cossack tallied 118 hours, 35 minutes and 46.202 seconds after seven stages and a little over 1,100 kilometers.

It was worth P500,000 for the team members, who rallied from seventh place after the opening stage on Friday last week.

"They really helped each other out and they deserved being called champs," a jubilant Renato Dolosa, the Tour’s 1992 and 1995 individual champion and Cossack coach, said.

Edgardo Ballezer arrived seventh for the day together with rookie Irish Valenzuela and Michael Reyes placed 22nd for the day as Cossack showed utter domination of the stage.

Elixir Sports finished second overall, 10 minutes and 48.533 seconds behind for the P400,000 runner-up’s purse. Air21 wound up 31:42.494 adrift for third and P300,000.