12 teams to draft Tour riders today

The 84 cyclists who qualified for the Tour Pilipinas 2003 take centerstage today when the 12 competing teams are given the chance to draft seven riders each at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

Also gracing the affair are Air 21 chairman Bert Lina and tour organizer Lito Alvarez plus the 12 coaches, all of whom have at one time or another conquered or survived the annual, multi-stage cycling marathon then known as the Marlboro Tour.

Former Tour champions Warren Davadilla, Carlo Guieb, Renato Dolosa, Bernardo Llentada and Rolando Pagnanawon and 2002 FedEx Express Tour of Calabarzon titlist Santy Barnachea are among the big names included in the race scheduled April 26 to May 11.

The riders, survivors of the stringent pre-qualifying and qualifying races last November and December, will be picked by the coaches that include Ricardo Parami, Florante Solomon, Arsenio Tado, Norberto Oconer, Ceferino Bacunawa, Elpidio Camat, Cesar Lobramonte, Hector Padilla, Alfredo Millanes, Juancho Ramores, Jivia Siojo and ex-titlist Gerardo Igos.

The members of the RP cycling team are also among those to be drafted, according to Art Cayabyab, executive vice president of the race management group, the Philippine National Cycling Association (PNCA), formerly the Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines.

They are Warren Davadilla, Reinhardt Gorantes Paulo Manapul, Merculio Ramos, Nilo Estayo, Lloyd Reynante, Arnel Quirimit, Enrique Domingo, Alfie Catalan and Paterno Curtan.

PNCA president Paquito Rivas, meanwhile, announced the holding of a general meeting among cyclists and coaches at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Tour Pilipinas headquarters at the Cargohaus Building, NAIA Complex, Old MIA Road, Para&