High hopes for RP-Pagcor in Langkawi

Bannered by the cream of the country’s cycling crop, the Pagcor Casino Filipino Cycling team vows to regain the top ranking in the region when it gets the chance to compete in the TM Le Tour de Langkawi unfolding Feb. 3-12, 2006 in Malaysia.

The 10-man team, headed by 2004 Tour Pilipinas champion Rhyan Tanguilig and former Asian king Victor Espiritu, is in the thick of preparations for the keenly-awaited event, raring to showcase their wares against the best in Asia and other continents after missing the action early this year.

"With the talent that we have, we are confident to dish out a solid campaign in the event," said RP-Pagcor team manager Ric Rodriguez. "Our target is to win the Asian best rider award and regain the No. 1 ranking in the region."

The Philippines used to lord it over the field in Asian cycling with Espiritu emerging the top rider in the region in 1998.

Rodriguez said the team has been doing road works the past two months to build up on stamina and will go into specifics, such as interval training, early next year. The other members of the squad are Lloyd Reynante, Merculio Ramos, Bernardo Luzon, Albert Primero, Orly Villanueva, Ronald Gorantes, Sherwin Diamsay and Sherwin Carrera.

The team was recently invited by Tour de Langkawi managing director Simon Donnellan to join the event where the Pagcor-sponsored Filipino riders are expected to match riding skills with those from Japan, Iran and Malaysia, among others.

Pagcor sports director Louie Carlos has furnished the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling), the governing body of the sport in the country, a copy of the invitation for endorsement to be able to compete in the event, the highest-rated race in Asia, including a separate Asian category.

Since only six slots have been allotted for the RP-Pagcor squad, Rodriguez said they will come up with the final list late next month, adding that the team will be bannered by two strikers, three climbers and one all-around rider.