Bowling Gold, Tanduay, PLDT-NDD chief contenders for P1-M purse

The battle for supremacy among teams from the private sector that is bound to catapult cycling to unprecedented heights will be reaching fever pitch come the Tour Pilipinas 2003.

And which are these? Bowling Gold, Tanduay and PLDT-NDD, teams packed with potent skippers and capable lieutenants who will vie strongly from April 26 to May 11 for the P1 million top team prize and P200,000 individual champion’s purse in the 18-day, 15-stage Tour.

Bowling Gold was the early bird, its chiefs sending a message cycling is their sport and commitment is their principle and with FedExpress Tour of Calabarzon 2002 champion Santy Barnachea at the helm of a squad coached by the comic yet cunning Ceferino Vacunawa, then the team could not only pedaling to the title but rolling towards the golden trophy like a bowling ball out to strike all the pins out.

Alfie Catalan, the 5-11 national cyclist, and Rolando Pagnanawon, the ageless former champion who is pedaling like a 23-year-old despite having seen 43 summers already, are also at the forefront in Bowling Gold’s initial sports endeavor that is turning out to be a major one.

Completing Bowling Gold’s lineup are Michael Gonowon, Joffrey Talaver, Dionisio Mendoza and Alfredo Mapa, all fighters and attackers Vacunawa could rely on at crunch time.

Arnel Quirimit, the never-say-die stalwart of the national team, is bound to take another shot at glory with a squad that made waves as a basketball team par excellence in the amateur and pro leagues but is shifting to supporting a sport where the Filipino could logically win accolades overseas – Tanduay. Coached by Tour veteran Hector Padilla, Tanduay has in its lineup Ericson Obosa, Joseph Millanes, Eric Tolentino, Oscar Espiritu, Dominador Jacob and Jesus Garcia.

These guys, although lacking in medals around their necks and trophies on their arms are not to be dismissed in the race for overall supremacy in the Tour Air21 is presenting.

Hello? Anybody home? If there is one, make way then for the PLDT-NDD riders first and foremost of whom would be Albert Primero, followed by an assistant skipper in Rainer Austria who are bound to make things easy for head coach Alfredo Millanes.

Also with PLDT-NDD which is embarking on an endeavor that borders on the unprecedented to noble are Jessie Bacudo, the man partly responsible for making Carlo Guieb one of the rare back-to-back champions in the Tour, Noli del Rosario, Roque Bautista, Virgilio Muena and Oscar Fronda.