SAN FERNANDO, La Union – Former Tour top rookie Baler Ravina came out unscathed in a spill-marred Stage 6 of the 2007 Padyak Pinoy Summer Showdown to wrest the overall lead as Arnel Quirimit endured body and leg pains after a day’s rest.
Ravina, the reed-thin 25-year-old rider of Cool Pap, claimed the overall lead by arriving in the main pack that covered the 213-km race that started in Laoag City, and ended in this bustling city in 5:09.30.40, some four minutes ahead of the ailing Quirimit.
“My body and legs were aching when I woke up this morning,” said Quirimit, the 2003 champion, in Filipino. “That’s why I let them pull away because I’m not in good condition to keep pace with them.”
In contrast, Ravina, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, was in fine form and even expressed confidence heading into the keenly awaited two Baguio climbs starting today.
“I’m happy because it’s the first time I’m wearing the yellow jersey,” said Ravina, who was second in the King of the Mountain race to 2004 winner Ryan Tanguilig, also in Filipino.
“I know I’m good in mountain climbing so I have a strong chance of winning this year,” added the Asingan, Pangasinan native, who now has an aggregate time of 18 hours, 35 minutes and 23 seconds, about two and a half minutes ahead of Quirimit, who slid to fifth with an overall time of 18:37’47.
Quirimit came in with the 57-man group that finished more than six minutes off Caltex’s Sherwin Carrera, who clocked 5:07’30.10 to top the same stage the former ruled last year.
“I just saw an opportunity to win my first lap so I grabbed it,” said Carrera, a 22-year-old native of San Fabian, La Union.
Champion’s Enrique Domingo, Caltex’s Desi Hardin, Cossack Vodka’s Edgar Ballezer and Cool Pap’s Bernard Luzon took the next four places.
Like Ravina, Tour dark horses Renato Sambrano and Irish Valenzuela of Cossack Vodka also made their move to go up to second and third places with times of 18:35’52 and 18: 36’26, respectively.
“Watch out for these two, they’re solid mountain climbers which should give them a strong chance of winning,” said coach Renato Dolosa.
Cargohaus’ Emelito Atilano also stayed in the hunt at No. 4 with 18:37’47 clocking.
Victor Espiritu of Wow Magic Sing and defending champion Santy Barnachea of Champion, who arrived in the group of the new overall leader, Sambrano and Valenzuela, also moved a rung higher.
From seventh, Espiritu, a two-time King of the Mountain winner in 1997 and 1998, surged to sixth with 18:38’19 while Barnachea took the seventh spot from eighth with 18:38’29.
Espiritu was tops again in the KOM race – a half kilometer stretch in Santa town in Ilocos Sur – to stay on course for a third KOM title, worth P20,000.
Vellum’s Frederick Feliciano, however, crashed out of the race after he collided with Oscar Rendole of Cool Pap in Candon also in Ilocos Sur.
Vellum coach Cesar Lobramonte said Feliciano, who was running third overall before the accident, sustained a dislocated right shoulder and was immediately brought to Manila for tests.