Cycling's secrets

An informal group of enthusiasts, including a renowned race-car driver, prominent businessmen and entrepreneurs have gone behind the scenes to help promote cycling, and their efforts (outside the loop of politics that has plagued the sport), have started to pay dividends.

In the recent Tour of Luzon, local cyclists have started to gain the respect of their foreign counterparts, because they are no longer as vulnerable as they once were.

“The recent developments in the sport have been very exciting,” says international car racer Angelo Barretto, who has been a cyclist since he was very young and represents the group. “Despite the superior equipment, we are literally gaining ground on the rest of the field.”

One of the most inspiring stories in recent months was a young man named Tots Oledan, who hails from Samar. Oledan, who won the second stage of the two-day Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office bike race yesterday, was a poor young lad who entered a race in the Visayas, and impressed a businessman who was also in the same race. The businessman promised him that if Oledan found a way to Manila, he would help him further his career in the sport. Oledan took the businessman for his word.

What followed was an improbable odyssey for the young rider. With only his ill-fitting bicycle and the shirt on his back, Oledan literally found away to bike his way to Metro Manila. When his shirt would get drenched with sweat, he would simply tie it around his midsection, and pedal on. Somehow, he was able to bum a boat ride to Metro Manila, where he was determined to seek out the rich businessman who promised him a future.

“He happened to end up in Cartimar, and bumped into a mechanic whom he later found out was also from Samar,” continues Barretto, who also photographs cycling competitions for his group. “Of course, he was told that the businessman would not even remember him. But he said he had no way of going back.”

Over the next months, Oledan and the mechanic form an informal alliance. They entered into the underground “bente-bente” races, where interested participants would fork over P20 for a winner-take-all pot. Oledan started winning many of these races, Over time, he rebuilt his bike, supported himself, and pursued his dream of becoming a big-name cyclist. Eventually, people started hearing about this short kid who was like a tireless machine on the bicycle.

Traditionally, foreign cyclists let plan their races as a team, and decide when to go for the lead, and when to attack other cyclists who may start fading. In this way, the Filipino cyclists get their photo-ops at the start of races, and the come-from-behind drama also builds interest in the sport. The same applied for the Tour of Luzon.  In the Tarlac leg, though, the plan almost backfired. As the field spread out, the foreigners, unmistakable because of their skin color, gradually burned up the rest of the field. In the end, there was only one racer remaining, and he was stubborn. They just couldn’t seem to wear him down. That rider was Tots Oledan, riding for American Vinyl Cycling.

Oledan gained the breathless respect of his foreign rivals, who would shake their head in disbelief, knowing that he hasn’t been in the sport as long. Even in group photos, he is conspicuous because he is so diminutive compared to everyone else. But now, they have to change their strategy because of him.

In yesterday’s race – a long, 180-kilometer trek from Marikina to Cabanatuan, Oledan needed some crafty teamwork with his compatriots to tame the field. Considering he is only part of the Junior Development Program (headed by entrepreneurs Eric Sy and Arnel Ty), it was a remarkable achievement to defeat older, more established pros.

To their credit, Oledan and some of his teammates try to avoid events which may drag them into the political-tug-of-war in the sport that ruined our team’s performance in the last Southeast Asian Games. Instead, they have sponsor support and are able to compete in international club competitions abroad. Now, they are getting better training and equipment, and the experience brings them closer and closer to convincingly beating their opponents from and in other countries.

Sadly, that seems the only way to succeed in the murky sports scenario in our country.