Bayambang honors Father of Cycling

BAYAMBANG , Philippines   â€“ The Father of Cycling will be honored in a 178 km race, dubbed Gerry Lacuesta Memorial Cup Challenge, during the 400th founding anniversary of this town on March 16.

Mayor Ricardo Camacho told local newsmen that this is one way of promoting their historic quadricentennial town celebration and to honor Lacuesta, the man who founded the Tour of Luzon, a yearly summer cycling event, patented under his name.

“We would like to recognize his (Lacuesta’s) feat in cycling and we had coordinated with his family in the United States who promised to go home to join us in this celebration,” Camacho said.

Lacuesta was born and resided in Barangay Hermnosa this town. He died in 1983.

Jesus “Jess” Garcia, race director-general, said this is an approximately 192-kilometer race which starts from this town to Malasiqui, Villasis, Carmen Rosales junction, Sto. Tomas, Alcala and Bautista (in Pangasinan) which will be traveled once then to this town again going to Camiling, San Clemente (Tarlac), Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Basista (Pangasinan) which will be traveled twice.

Garcia, three-time national Tour champion in 1973 and 1977, said the cycling race is open to professional cyclists and elite amateurs in the Philippines. About 70 cyclists are expected to join the race.

Cycling  champions from Pangasinan like Santy Barnachea of  Umingan, Baler Ravina of Asingan, Ronald Oranza of Villasis, Joshua Carino of Mangaldan, as well as prominent cyclists like Mark Julius Bonzo, son of the late 1983 Marlboro Tour champion Romeo Bonzo of Sual, Mark Julius Bordeos from Laoac, Edmundo Nicolas and Alfie Catalan both  of San Manuel are joining the race as well as other potential cyclists from other areas like Irish Valenzuela of Tabaco, Albay  and Mark Galedo from Metro Manila.

“This should be our number one sports in Pangasinan because we excel in it and we have 15 national Tour champions from this province in 20 national tours,” Garcia added.

“We are doing this cycling race here in honor of Lacuesta,” he added.