Kennon and the Marcos highway climb were two on my things-to-do list before I go. Last year, I joined the VueltaDagupan, a two-stage race that featured a climb to Baguio via the Marcos Highway on day 1 and via Kennon Road on day 2. Although I finished on the tail end, I was very happy for doing and finishing both.
I thought that I'd be satisfied with what I had achieved but then when the opportunity came a few months later, here I am. It's actually a "we" since the team, cebucycling.com-Sky Logistics, is very well represented. I'm with Mike Flores, Jazzy Navarra, Sai Salazar, Ian Entica and Tony Codina and chilling at the Summer Capital of the Philippines. There were plenty of bisdaks in the race who were with other teams like Jerome Rodriguez, Ronnie Adlawan and Amon Espinosa.
Leyte was also well represented with the comebacking Philip Sainz, Daniel Roa and his boys. In fact, the elfin-sized Louie Agravante placed third in his category.
We had just finished the Marcos Highway stage and unfortunately,DNF'd. This highway is the longest climb I have done, at 30km long!!! Of course, the entrée is 60km rolling route, but with a controlled pace that started in the posh San Marino subdivision in Dagupan City before a regrouping at the Rosario Junction.
Unlike last year, the weather was so hot that I literally wilted under the scorching sun. Even though I knew that I'd get a good nature ribbing post race, I knew my race was over. But still can have my redemption tomorrow along Kennon, if all things go right.
The European Classics season
As expected, Fabian Cancellara won Paris-Roubaix with surgical precision. He shedded everybody pretenders on the cobbles and dispatched them one by one. A few days, later, it was the turn of Roman Kreuziger, an underachieving Czech who was let go of his team, Astana, last year for underperforming. This time, he won Amstel Gold with a late breakaway. The amazing peter Sagan finally became a mortal, cramping in the closing point of the race. Then on Wednesday, there was a surprise winner in the Dutch classic, Fleche Wallone. Daniel Moreno, an understudy of Purrito Rodriguez, timed his sprint perfectly beating the still winless Philippe Gilbert, the current World Champion and former winner of this event. I thought Sagan was going to win but it seemed that his reservoir of strength has finally left him. It's time for Sagan to take a long deserved break and be ready to return in the Tour de France this July.
Finally, a huge thanks to the following: our sponsor, Sky Logistics……Shiela and Jong Sepulveda for being such gracious host in Manila…… Art Lambo for acting as our impromptu one man crew……Thanks also to the Vuelta Dagupan organizers Quinn and Jojo Baterna, race director Louie Gutierrez and all the participants in the 2013 VD. Hopefully, I'll be back next year.