Ramos, Reynante dispute cycling title

Team TCL’s Merculio Ramos and Team Pagcor’s Lloyd Reynante fight it out for supremacy in closed-circuit racing when the third and the final leg of the Cycling Search Invitational Criterium Race presented by Pagcor is held today in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

With Ramos and Reynante tied with 23 points after two legs of the circuit, a down-to-the-wire battle for top honors is expected in the deciding 48-km, 15-lap event around the provincial capitol of the city considered as the only surviving colonial town in the country.

Emphasis will be on strategy and teamwork as Victor Espiritu, a teammate of Ramos and running third in the overall standings with 18 points, is expected to provide Ramos the needed help not only in their quest for personal glory in the pro/elite division but also in pursuit of the team crown.

Team TCL shows the way with 61 points with Team Pagcor just five points behind with 56, making the fight for team honors and the top P15,000 purse as hotly-contested as the individual competition which stakes P5,000 to the winner.

Team Jazy is too far behind with 20 points while Team United Bikers of Nueva Ecija, Team Agnes Bakeshop and Fuji Steel could only churn out 8, 4 and 3 points, in the team event where the accumulated points of the top three riders count for each squad.

The race will be aired live on DZSR 918 starting at 10 a.m.

Like Ramos, the 26-year-old Reynante, son of former two-time Marlboro champion Maui Reynante, will also be counting on teammate Bernard Luzon, tied with Tomas Martinez for fourth in the individual race with 13 points, while Albert Primero is in sixth with 12 points.

Focus will also be on the elite category, featuring those who haven’t participated in any major national or international cycling events with Team Excellent’s Joel Balucos eyeing a grand finish after seizing control with 26 points after two legs in Manila and Tarlac.

But Team Jazy’s 1-2 punch of Adrian Malanum and Jazy Garcia are breathing down his neck with 24 and 20 points, respectively with first leg winner Alfredo Asuncion (15 points) expected to bounce back from a so-so showing in Tarlac, and Edmar Magbitang in fifth place with 11 points.

The event, organized by Treo Sales and Management Corp. and backed by the cities of Manila, Tarlac and Vigan City, Rudy Project, Tarlac Electric Co., Partas Transport, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philpost, UCPB Gen., Masco, WOW Phils., TCL, Philcycling and Air 21, is put up to likewise discover young and aspiring talents both in the men’s and women’s division.

In fact, the all-woman cycling team of David’s Salon, which includes national team mainstays Marita Lucas and Bing Alto, and former national triathlon team members Ani de Leon and Kaye Lopez together with Mona Valdez, is competing in the event, vowing to come up with a strong finishing kick in Vigan.