Elims underway for cycling tour revival

There'll be no stopping the Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines (PCAP) in reviving the Tour of the Philippines this year.

Organizing committee chairman Atty. Cornelio Padilla announced this yesterday, saying PCAP president Paquito Rivas has calendared a series of eliminations for the tour revival with the first set this Saturday at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

According to Padilla, the first elimination is a 20.5-kilometer individual time trial (ITT), which will select 100 riders to undergo more tests before qualifying for the tour, tentatively set April 30 to May 14.

Dubbed the "Millennium Tour of the Philippines," the summer road race spectacle will also have the 2000 Smart Manila-to-Baguio Classic next month and a four-day mini-tour as part of its eliminations.

"With the Manila-Baguio race and the four-day mini-tour held as part of the elims, we hope to get only the best riders in the country," said Padilla, a two-time tour champion.

Tour organizers set a standard of a minimum run of 42 kilometers per hour for participants to make it to the final list of entries.

Padilla said the PCAP intends to continue coordinating with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in staging the tour.