Youth riders dominate track trials

MANILA, Philippines - Youngsters George Oconer and Irish Valenzuela stamped their class in the PhilCycling track trials at the Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City last Tuesday to virtually gain guaranteed slots in the national team competing in the 2011 Asian Cycling Championships.

Oconer, 18, ruled the 1-km in one minute, 14.96 seconds, beating veteran Nilo Estayo (1:15.33) and Merculio Ramos (1:15.876) in the event staged at the concrete 400-meter track.

Oconer, the son of bemedalled former national and now coach Norberto who trained in Melbourne and saw action in the track events in the recent Guangzhou Asian Games, also humbled the field in the sprint races.

Oconer beat Estayo and Reinhard Gorantes to virtually snatch one of four berths in the Asian championships set in Bangkok Feb. 9-20.

Valenzuela, the 23-year-old who is one of the country’s top road riders, topped the individual pursuit with a time of 5:22.00. He beat Rustom Lim, a junior rider, who submitted 5:24.60 and Ronald Gorantes, a natural track cyclist, who did 5:25.00.

PhilCycling president and Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino said the top finishers in the trials will have the inside track in the national team to the Asian Championships.

The track trials were conducted after the national open for road last Dec. 8 in Tagaytay City and Batangas.

Tomas Martinez, Renato Sembrano and Joel Calderon finished 1-2-3 in the Tagaytay City-Tagaytay City 150-km massed start race for men’s elite, while Rustom Lim, Kenneth Solis and John Mark Camingao stood on the podium of the 130-km junior category.

Ramos ruled the 40-km individual time trial in Balayan, Batangas, followed by Guangzhou Asian Games veteran Lloyd Reynante and Martinez.

Meanwhile, the national open for mountain bike will be staged in Danao City, Cebu.