Quirimit rules 2nd lap; Barnachea overall leader

LUCENA CITY–Arnel Quirimit upstaged his rivals in the lung-busting climb up Atimonan and then survived a wild chase by Santi Barnachea in the stretch to win the second lap of the FedEx Express Tour of Calabarzon yesterday.

Quirimit, who was drafted by PAGCOR-Nueva Vizcaya when the national cyclists were dispersed to even the playing field, clocked 4:06:17 at the tape and Barnachea, chosen by Corporate Air-Visayas, crossed two seconds later in another show of force by the national team.

The squad continued to dominate the race over the other cyclists who were coming off inactivity.

"Specialty ko talaga ang ahon," said Quirimit, who broke off from the lead pack that controlled the race halfway through the 154-km stretch that snaked from Batangas City to this Quezon capital when the group reached the edge of Atimonan road, which lies in a mountain park reserve and is known in local cycling lore as "Tatlong Eme."

The steep climb features narrow zigzag paths with sharp, hairpin-like curves and is said to be the one that should decide the race. While nothing that drastic took place, the Atimonan stage did give birth to a new overall leader, one who had his ascension to cycling greatness come to a screeching halt by the abrupt hibernation of the previous Tour.

Barnachea, who gave observers a portent of things to come by a surprise fourth-place finish in 1998, may have finished second to Querimit in the day. But riding on a newly purchased bike, he vaulted to the top of the standings and stripped Warren Davadilla of the yellow jersey going into Saturday’s team time trial.

"Masaya ako, pero alam ko mahirap maging overall leader. Pag suot mo ang yellow jersey, ikaw ang binabantayan ng ibang siklista," said the 25-year-old Barnachea, whose overall time of 8:24:01 put him seven seconds up on Quirimit. Davadilla, slowed by a sluggish start, failed to use his climbing prowess and crashed out of the top ten and landed at 13 with a total of 8:38:29.

"Sa dating Tour pa lang, ang daming nabigla sa kanya. Talagang may ibubuga yan. Lalo na ngayon, lightweight na yung bike niya. Doon naming nakita yung tunay na lakas niya. Two weeks pa lang niya ginagamit yan. Dati, purong bakal yung bike niya, talagang mabigat," said national coach Joselito Santos, who was present to oversee the performance of the national team.

The national team players, who were 1-2 in Thursday’s first lap, were 1-2-3 this time as 19-year-old Alfie Catalan, picked by Airfreight 2100-NCR, came in third for the day at 4:11:22 despite his unfamiliarity with Atimonan.