TARLAC CITY, Philippines – Ageless Warren Davadilla gifted himself a big birthday present yesterday as he ruled the shortened Stage Six of the 2011 LBC Ronda Pilipinas even as Nueva Ecija skipper Joel Calderon kept the overall lead after a mass finish that saw the 82-man peloton check in with the same time here.
But the day belonged to Davadilla, member of the National Capital Region team who showed he still got what it takes to win, outsprinting 7-Eleven’s Ericson Obosa and American Vinyl’s Ronnel Hualda in the last 700 meters to record his first stage victory in a long while.
“I’m celebrating my birthday tomorrow (today) so this is extra special because it’s my gift to myself,” said Davadilla, now 37, in Filipino.
Davadilla raised his arms in triumph as he acknowledged the cheers from the crowd in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral and city plaza here. He clocked one hour, 33 minutes, 10 seconds along with the younger Obosa, Hualda and 80 of the 91 surviving riders who were flagged off in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Race organizers decided to shorten the race, originally set over 136.7-kms, to nearly half at 79-kms as they removed routes in flooded areas in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.
Calderon, along with 7-Eleven’s Irish Valenzuela, American Vinyl captain Cris Joven and Phl Under-23 team’s Jonathan Mier broke away from the pack early and stayed as one entering the last seven-kms stretch.
But the main group caught up with them in the narrow, populated roads in this city with Davadilla cutting loose to snatch the win.
“I can still do it, I know I still have it,” said Davadilla, who clinched the victory with his spokes jammed with his breaks in the last 200 meters.
Davadilla, however, stood in 12th overall, over nine minutes off Calderon but remains hopeful of joining Antonio Arzala, who won in 1955, 1956 and 1959, in the elite cast of three-time winners.
“Although I’m a little bit far from the leaders, I know in my heart that I could still win my third Tour title, that’s really my goal entering the race,” said Davadilla, who pocketed P50,000 for his feat. “My plan is to give it all in the final stages because I’m planning to retire after this.”
Calderon kept the red jersey for the fourth straight stage with a total time of 19:21:28, ahead of the youthful George Oconer (19:21:42) of the Phl Under-23 team, Valenzuela (19:23:04), American Vinyl’s Rudy Roque (19:23:52), and East Pangasinan’s Santy Barnachea (19:25:33).
Oconer also leads the Rudy Project Young Rider class while the 24-year Valenzuela has been dominating the Magnolia Purewater King of the Mountain and Air Asia Sprint divisions.
Rounding up the Top 10 were former Tour titlist Arnel Quirimit of Central and Western Pangasinan (19:27:14), Bicol’s Alvin Benosa (19:27:42), Barnachea’s teammate Baler Ravena (19:28:49), Joven (19:29:05) and 7-Eleven captain Lloyd Lucien Reynante (19:29:22).
Joven’s American Vinyl leads 7-Eleven in the team event which also offers a top purse of P1 million.
Meanwhile, Joven and Reynante were fined $200 each for figuring in a scuffle in Stage Five and made to apologize in public. A repeat infraction would mean automatic disqualification and a UCI (UnionCycliste International) ban.
The LBC Ronda resumes today with the 142.4km Tarlac-San Fernando, La Union Stage Seven which features a one-km long Category 4 ascent after the Angat Bridge that connects Pangasinan and La Union with Stage Eight, a 129.63km race from San Fernando-Vigan, Ilocos Sur slated tomorrow.
The 12-leg, 20-day event is staking a total cash pot of P7 million with the individual and team champions receiving P1 million apiece courtesy of main sponsor LBC Hari ng Padala and backers Rudy Project, Air Asia.com, Magnolia Purewater, Versa two-way radios and Starlite Ferries, Inc. with The Philippine STAR, C! and AKTV as media partners.