Tanguilig wrests overall lead

LAOAG — The longest journey in the Air21 Tour Pilipinas 2004 belonged to the Philippine trade team riders.

Five trade teammates figured in a high-noon showdown in the mountains and the downhill passes of Ilocandia with Albert Primero flashing home the Stage 12 winner, Rhyan Tanguilig emerging the new overall individual leader and the team’s alleged conspiracy to dominate the Tour came to the fore.

Erstwhile five-day leader Enrique Domingo and Purefoods skipper Warren Davadilla admitted falling victim to the "trade team conspiracy,"prompting the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) to call an investigation after the race. GAB officials said they will reveal the probe findings this morning.

Domingo alleged that his assistant skipper Lloyd Reynante abandoned him in favor of his fellow trade team riders while Davadilla charged Reynante, Primero, Tanguilig, Victor Espiritu and Ronald Gorantes took turns in keeping him in check in the last few kilometers from the finish line here in the region’s premier city.

Placing second behind Primero in the back-breaking ride from Aparri covering 252 kilometers, Reynante said he offered help to his injury-stricken team captain but was waved off to wage his own fight for the King of the Mountain battle.

"Galing ako sa malayong grupo. Noong nadaanan ko siya (Domingo), sabi ko ‘Cap ano?’ Sabi niya ‘sige lang, sige lang.’ Eh kailangan ko rin magtrabaho para sa KOM," said Reynante, the eventual winner of the KOM points disputed entering the Burgos town. But Domingo denied this.

"Dinaanan lang ako. Pero alam kong hindi ako tutulungan dahil trade team iyan, eh ako national team," said Domingo, stripped of the yellow jersey and relegated to third place after finishing nine minutes and 25 seconds behind Primero who negotiated the extra long route in six hours, seven minutes and 45 seconds.

Postmen coach Ricarlito Balmes backed Domingo’s charges. He said: "Inawat ko (si Reynante), pero tumuloy pa rin. Sabi ko baka makasama kung aatake siya."

Somehow, Reynante did help Tanguilig and Primero in seizing the one-two spots going into the last five stages of the 21-day, 17-stage bikathon sponsored by Red Bull as the official energy drink, Summit, Pharex, Isuzu, Gatorade, Lactovitale and Elixir Bikeshop.

"Okay na rin dahil mawawala na ang pressure sa akin at pwede na uli akong umatake," said Domingo, who was slowed down by a sore back he sustained in the group spill Friday. "Kahapon hindi ako gaanong naapektuhan dahil maigsi lang ang ruta. Ngayon, umepekto na dahil masyadong malayo at mahirap."

Enjoying the overall individual leadership for the first time in his Tour career that started in 1998, Tanguilig, a Novo Ecijano representing the PLDT squad here, believed he’s got what it takes to defend it till the finish on Monday in Manila.

"Alam kong tataas ang pressure at dadami ang sakripisyong kailangan kong gawin. Pero gagawin ko ang lahat para kumapit," said Tanguilig, the best Filipino finisher in the most recent Tour de Langkawi.

Tanguilig leads Primero by three minutes and 28 seconds as the Tour, after a welcome break today, goes to Vigan tomorrow on a team time trial race. Domingo is 4:10 adrift at third followed by Joel Calderon (5:27), Gorantes (10:59), Tomas Martinez (11:20), Baler Ravina (13:16), Joseph Millanes (14:20) and Eusebio Quinones (14:42).

Primero jumped from fourth to second, becoming the second rider to win two stages in this Tour after Frederick Feliciano in Stages 3 and 4.

Primero took his first top podium honors in the Tagaytay-Quezon City race–another long ride covering 212 kilometers.

"Umpisa pa lang kasama na ako sa breakaway group. Tapos noong nalaman namin na malayo na ang overall leader, nagpalitan na kami sa trangko. Last 13 kilometers, sinubukan kong umatake. Walang sumunod kaya nakuha ko," said Primero.

Tanguilig admitted a conspiracy among the breakaway riders in this particular stage. However, he stressed the talks were not confined among trade team members.

"Siyempre lahat kami gustong makakain ng oras. So lahat nagusap-usap at nagtulong-tulong," said Tanguilig.

Davadilla, a non-trade team rider, sang a different tune.

"Lahat ng gulang at daya inabot ko. Pinagtulungan ako," said the 1998 Tour titlist who consoled himself with a win in the first KOM battle in the boundary of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.

Davadilla and Primero formed a breakaway group composed of 11 riders right in the winding descend in Gattaran town, a few kilometers from the start.

Emerging from the ascend in Claveria, Primero was already with Danny Ganigan and Lito Atilano in the lead group, followed by the second group of Davadilla, Tanguilig, Espiritu and Gorantes then the main pack led by Domingo.

Domingo faded into the fourth group as they passed through another mountain-climbing stage in Sta. Praxedes town. Another climb going to Burgos, and Domingo was left behind farther, over six minutes off the lead pack. At presstime, five riders had yet to finish the race.

TOUR NOTES: Tour officials said GAB took into consideration allegations of sharing of food and water among trade teamers, and VAT Riders coach Cesar Lobramonte favoring the trade teammates over his own cyclists in calling the probe. The VAT Riders had thought of petitioning the ouster of Lobramonte as their coach for attending more on the needs of the trade riders. Lobramonte is the coach of the Trade Team outside the Tour…On the Trade Team working hard to show off the other riders, Domingo said: "Kailangan nila talagang magpakita dahil swelduhan iyan buwan-buwan. Eh, yung mga kalaban nila dito lang kumikita"… Outside of the P10,000 prize he won for topping the stage, Primero earned an extra prize of P5,000 for ruling the sprint run ending in front of the Bacarra town hall. Mayor Philip Velasco put up P5,000, P3,000 and P2,000 for the first three riders to cross the imaginary sprint finish line.