San Andres bucks fall, wins moto in Valderrama

VALDERRAMA, Antique, Philippines – An early fall did not stop Kenneth San Andres from taking the early initiative in yesterday’s FIM International Motocross Championship here.

San Andres bolted out of the gates on his P800,000 bike and was setting the trail on the 1.8-km track when he muffed a burm shot, took a fall and needed half a minute to get going once more.

By this time, his fierce rival, Khaliunbold Erdinbileg of Mongolia, had zoomed ahead of the eight-man field, leaving San Andres at the tailend of the 10-lap race held under Valderrama’s prickling heat.

But the huge crowd that came to see the biggest sporting event in town did not give up on the 20-year-old San Andres, whose boyish looks and riding skills have endeared him to Antiquenos, particularly the girls.

Even with his helmet on and his engine running wild, San Andres later told scribes he could hear the crowd roar as he passed one rider after another, and that they just got louder and louder as he closed in on the Mongolian.

Erdinbileg, winner of the series’ opening leg in Palawan last February, kept on looking over his shoulders trying “to make sure he still had San Andres behind him. But inside the final three laps, the Pinoy ace finally caught up with him.

San Andres never looked back.

“I tried to be patient because I knew it was a long race. And I could hear the crowd cheering for me, too,” he said after the win that gave him 25 points and the upperhand in the second moto that was scheduled later in the afternoon.

The second moto carries more points, and Erdinbileg could still snatch the victory in the leg if he finishes first. San Andres, who started racing at the age of 12, said he won’t let that happen.

“I will be more careful in the second race. I will make sure I don’t take a spill. That’s all I need to do,” said San Andres after the race in the Pro 125 division even if the bikes used by most participants are four-stroke 250s.

“Kenneth was very good out there,” said Erdinbileg under the riders’ tent, his jersey off, sweating like he just got out of the sauna. He said it’s around minus-10 in Mongolia right now, and the heat here is just too much for him to bear.

“But I will still try my best in the second race,” he said, not giving up on a big finish in the event put up by Valderrama Mayor Joyce Roquero, sponsored by the PCSO, through its director, Ray Roquero, and sanctioned by NAMSSA headed by Macky Carapiet.

Coming in next in the first moto were 16-year-old Migi Tolentino, Dennis Acdol, Mike Asmawil, Miko Tolentino and Mark Gonzales.

In the 50cc class, where riders as young as seven or eight years turned out to be the darlings of the crowd, it was Peewee Galla who topped them all, followed by Ompong Gabriel and Christian Balasote.

Ruling the 65cc class was Moymoy Flores followed by Bilog Macaso and John Fernandez. In the 85cc division it was Jerrick Mitra towing Flores and Ralp Ramonito.

And in the open enduro, Rex Santander made the others eat his dust, crossing the finish way ahead of CB Lorenzo and Julius Alvarez.