Philippines riders vie in Langkawi

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines returns to the Le Tour de Langkawi after more than two decades of absence with six of the country’s grizzled road cyclists seeing action in the eight-stage Hors category event that starts Sunday on Langkawi Island in Malaysia.

Ronald Oranza, Marcelo Felipe, Jan Paul Morales, Junrey Navarra, Joshua Pascual and Jude Gabriel Francisco make up the Philippine National Road Team coached by Ronald Gorantes, Virgilio Espiritu and Mark John Lexer Galedo with Ric Rodriguez as team manager and Roderick Calla as mechanic.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also head of the PhilCycling, stressed on the significance of the Tour de Langkawi as one of the most prestigious and difficult multi-stage International Cycling Union (UCI) races in Asia.