Pinoy riders vow ‘no tomorrow’ in Doha

Fifteen of the finest Filipino riders will vie in the 15th Asian Games and although the promise of a medal is not a hundred percent guaranteed like many on Team Philippines, the cyclists vowed to compete as if there is no tomorrow.

"There will be no tomorrow," said both Warren Davadilla and Arnel Quirimit, both owners of Tour Pilipinas crowns and two of the most veterans on the team. "This is a different race because very few are given the chance to compete in the Asian Games."

True, the cyclists had to go through two major qualifying events to make it to the Asian Games roster.

With Quirimit and Davadilla on the road team which qualified out of the 2006 Asian Cycling Championships in September in Kuala Lumpur are Santy Barnachea, another Tour champion, and Frederick Feliciano, Ericson Obosa and John Ricafort.

In track, the men’s team that qualified for Doha from the Track Asia Cup 1 and 2 in Ipoh (Malaysia) and Bangkok (Thailand) in August are Alfie Catalan, Jan Paul Morales, Paulo Manapul, Edwin Paragoso, Carlo Jasul, Alvin Benosa, Arnold Marcelo and the ageless Paterno Curtan.

They will be accompanied by head coach Jomel Lorenzo and assistant coaches Domingo Villanueva and Dindo Quirimit and equipment custodian Dante Valdez.

Hope beckons in the women’s events with Baby Marites Bitbit providing that potent chance in both road and track. Bitbit will race in the women’s individual time trial and massed start of road as well as in the three-km individual pursuit and points race in track.

PhilCycling president Bert Lina has been a hundred percent behind the national cyclists as he stressed the Philippines is aimed at getting its seat back alongside, if not ahead, of her Asian neighbors. "This team is perhaps one of the best inspired and I am confident our riders will be pouring in their best for flag and country," he said.

For the road events, the Philippine entries are Davadilla, Quirimit and Feliciano for massed start; Bitbit for massed start and individual time trial (ITT) for women; Quirimit for men’s ITT; and Quirimit, Davadilla, Obosa, Barnachea and Ricafort for team time trial.

For track, it will be Catalan in individual pursuit; Morales in 1-km ITT; Morales, Manapul and Paragoso in team sprint; Bitbit in 3-km individual pursuit and points race; Morales in sprint; Catalan, Curtan, Jasul, Marcelo and Benosa in team pursuit; Curtan and Catalan in points race; Morales and Jasul in keirin; and Marcelo, Benosa and Catalan in Madison.