Cebu's Pride: the Moring's

The Tour Pilipinas 2006 "Padyak Pinoy" finally reeled off last Friday, after it was thought to be dead in the water due to a rumored financial problem two months ago. Jovani Delica and Antonio "Kasag" Nebria are two Cebuanos who are campaigning in the TP2006. With all of your support, I hope they'll do well in this Tour. But what bothers me is the scant information I get from the race organizers, DOS-1. These days, a website usually goes hand in hand with an event and although TP2006 has a website (www.tourpilipinas.com), it's a shame that it's not as current as it should be. Some cycling websites even has a live coverage of the race itself.

The Moring's

The first father and son to join the Tour were Cebuanos Jose Moring Sr. and Jose Moring Jr. exactly 50 years ago in the 1956 Tour of Luzon (May 23-27).

Joe Sr. was already a well known stunt cyclist during the 50's, something you can compare to the X-Gamers you see on TV these days. I saw him once in Tagbilaran City during the 1975 Tour Pilipinas (where Mawi Reynante won that year) where he entertained the fans while waiting for the race to end at the CPG Sports Complex. Incidentally, it was his son Manolito, who won that particular stage in Bohol.

Joe Jr., would become one of the legends of Philippine cycling, winning the Tour in 1961 at a tender age of 19 years old and was record holder of most stages won in a single Tour with 6 victories (career 15 stages won), the same record of stages with his brother Manolito won in the 1980 Tour until it was beaten by a Korean rider with 7 stages won in the Marlboro Tour in the 1997. Manolito also won 4 stages in the 1977 Tour.

In the 1961 Tour of Luzon, Moring Jr. set fastest speed average ever at 37kph to beat another legend Jose Sumalde by 10 minutes in spite of three flats, 2 chain slips and a 5-minute penalty. His total prize for winning the race- 7,500.00!!! He was 21 yo at that time. Strangely, Manolito, Joe Jr's younger brother, was cheering for Sumalde who was his idol.

Here are top money winners of the 1956 Tour after Joe Jr- 2nd overall Sumalde- 6,375.00 for 2nd overall. 3rd overall went to Rodrigo Abaquita and 2,000.00. 2-time champion Antonio Arzala of Southern Luzon who came in at 7th, took home 1,500.00. That year, 75.00 were given for a stage winner while all those who made it to the Rizal Oval at the end of the race received 220.00 each or a 20.00 daily pay as a survivor's prize.

Joe Jr was the youngest rider to win the tour although there is confusion regarding his date of birth. One report said he was born in 1939, but his obituary said he was born in 1942. He died in 1986 of a heart attack. The second youngest tour champion after Joe Jr was Atty. Cornelio Padilla, who was a month older then Joe Jr when he won his first Tour.

Joe Jr's palmares

27th place 1961 Tour of Panay; 1960 Tour of Luzon- won stage 1; 1st, 1960 Tour of Southern Leyte (money won 300.00); 2nd place 1960 Tour of Mindanao; 2nd place 1960 Tour of Cebu; 3rd 1960 Tour of Bicolandia; 3rd, 1958 Tour of Luzon where he also won 2 stages; 1st, 1958 Tour of North Manila; 1st Cotabato-Davao Marathon.

(I'd like to thank a friend who I've met only in cyberspace, Mr. Gorio Belen, for graciously sending me his cycling archives he took from the old Manila Times, The Herald, The Fookien Times, etc. Without him, I could never have made this column up. Thanks, bai!)

Loca Race Results

ALUMNUS CRIT, (5/6/06) 1. Marjun Villarosa 2. Norman Navarro 3. Janno Canasa

TALISAY DAWIS FIESTA, (5/13/06) 1. Robert Villaver 2. Adonis Bohol 3. Richard Navarro RECYCLE RCM IND (5/13/06) 1. Ricky Ermitanio 2. Ian Colina 3. Jojo Juezan 4. Noel Famor 5. John Ermitanio OVERALL 1. Noel Famor-53pts, 2. Stephen Chian-46 3. Richard Patalinghug-46 TEAM 1. SPARK KLEEN-96pts 2. LAPULAPU-RUT-78pts 3. VELONAUTS-74pts