Phl cyclists ready to battle foreigners as Le Tour starts

CLARKFIELD , Philippines   â€“ Former champion Jonifer “Baler” Ravina and the rest of the Filipino riders try to hold fort against foreign forces out to make the 2014 Le Tour de Filipinas another invaders’ party as they answer the starting gun beginning today.

Ravina of 7-Eleven Roadbike, the only Pinoy rider to win the UCI-sanctioned race back in 2012, is aching to get the glory back after surrendering the plum to the fancied Iranians last year.

“Susubukan natin (We’ll give it our best shot),” said the veteran rider from Asingan, Pangasinan.

Ravina rides for Phl continental team 7-Eleven Roadbike, one of just two Philippine squads entered in the four-stage race that starts with a 160-km ride from this former US military base to Olongapo City and ends with Thursday’s “killer lap” from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya to Baguio City.

“Baler is in good shape. His climbing is very good, in fact, he’s climbing better than last year,” said Roadbike official Ric Rodriguez, who also expects two-time local tour champ Mark Galedo, the other half of their 1-2 punch, to strike hard.

Also carrying the fight for local riders is Philippine Navy Standard Insurance, which anchors its bid on two-time local tour winner Santy Barnachea.

“Handa na kami at gagawin namin lahat para taluning sila (We’re ready and we will try our best to fend off the foreigners),” said Barnachea.

The Iranians, who have won two of the first four stagings via Rahim Emami of Azad in 2011 and Ghader Mizbani of Tabriz Petrochemical Tea, (TPT) last year, are back in the saddle, represented by Tabriz Shahrdari Ranking (TSR).

TSR has brought in a crack team led by Alizadeh Hossein, the UCI points champion in Asia two years ago; Khalil Khorshid, third-best Asian rider in last month’s Tour of Taiwan, and Safardazeh Saeid, fifth placer in the 2013 Le Tour where he raced donned the TPT jersey.

“Our top three riders are very good. And they are good climbers,” said TSR coach Rojaari Bavilolyaei, anticipating the final reckoning in the mountains.

Similarly poised to steal the limelight is Brunei’s CCN Cycling Team, a continental team bannered by French-Laotian Ariya Phounsaveth and European bets who are coming off a fifth-place overall in the Tour de Langkawi.

Same with Japan’s Aisan and Team Ukyo squads, Korea’s KSPO, Indonesia’s PT Pegasus, Malaysia’s Terengganu, Mongolia Attila Cycling Club, Singapore’s OCBC, Ireland’s Polygon Sweet Science, Australia’s Satalyst Giant, Kazakshtan’s Track Team Astana and UAE’s National Team.

PhilCycling chairman Alberto Lina will flag off the competitors at 8:30 a.m. for the opening stage marked by tricky and demanding climbs from Dinalupihan in Bataan through Balanga and Morong and inside the SMBA before finishing in Olongapo.

Stage Two will take the riders on a 170-km ride from Olongapo to Cabanatuan City, followed by a 146.6-km  race from Cabanatuan to Bayombong, Nueva Vizacaya.Then they will set off on the final push in the so-called “Northern Alps of Phl” a 134-km roller-coaster race from Bayombong to Baguio through Kayapa Highway and Ambuklao Dam.

“This is a very short race so we’ll treat it as a one-day race and attack,” said Rodriguez.

The fifth edition of Le Tour is presented by Air21 and supported by Smart, NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX, BCDA, Petron, Victory Liner and M. Lhuillier.

Joining Lina in flagging off the race are his wife Sylvia, 2014 Le Tour organizer and Air21 president Jerry Jara, Donna Lina-Flavier, head of co-organizer Ube Media, Clark Devt. Corp chairman Arthur Tugade, and PhilCycling sec-gen Billy Sumague.