Warren Davadilla ran a brilliant tactical race in ruling the wet and slippery Mayor Sonny Belmonte Cup, sixth leg of Tanduay National Criterium Grand Prix, on a rainy Sunday at the Quezon Memorial Circle.
Biding his time while the others jockeyed for position, the pint-sized two-time Tour ng Pilipinas champion squeezed past the tightly-bunched lead pack in the last 200 meters to top the Elite Open Division of the event presented by Hitachi and supported by the Quezon City government.
Up-and-coming Rodolfo Malangsa, the defending National Criterium champion, of Deony Auto Supply, placed a close second while unheralded Dalton Tablizo took third in the contest also backed by Energo, Pau Liniment, Fuji Xerox Printers and Rudy Project.
“Talagang mahigpitan ang laban, lalo na at umulan. Tama lang ang naging diskarte,” said the 33-year-old Davadilla, an Airman Second Class racing under the colors of Army which includes reigning Padyak Pinoy champion Victor Espiritu.
No less than Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte flagged off the riders in the cycling showcase to kick off his “Siklista ng Bayan Pilipinas Tour” in promoting his campaign for an economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation in the face of spiraling fuel prices.
On the other hand, Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista awarded the handsome trophies and medals to the winners of the different divisions of the bikefest organized by Pro Ads Marketing Concepts Inc. and also supported by EDSA 999 Properties, D-Loads and Hi-Life Spa.
New faces emerged as the topnotchers in the other races, with Prime’s Roderick Calla topping the Executive and Mixed Masters Division where another Tour veteran, Enrique Domingo, who rode for Dream Master, made his debut.