Cyclists seek Olympic berths

MANILA, Philippines - Breaking the 30-year absence in the Olympic Games is what the unified Philcycling (Philippine Integrated Cycling Federation) leadership will be focusing on this year and early 2012.

To make it in the 2012 Games in London, Philcycling is definitely fielding its best riders in the Asian Cycling Championships February next year and in the World Championships later the same year, according to marketing man Emmet Penson, consultant to Philcycling president, Dr. Philip “Popoy” Juico.

Penson qualified though during Friday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session that the focus will only be on BMX events where the Filipino hopefuls have the brightest chances because of the presence of a pair of world-class Fil-Americans Daniel Caluag and Alexis Vergara.

Caluag and Vergara, both recruited by Dr. Juico himself in Los Angeles in California during his talent-search trip to the United States, were actually on the Philippine team lineup in the just-ended Southeast Asian Games but were not permitted to race due to technicality.

It turned out that the duo were carrying a pair of International Cycling Federation (UCI) licenses each, one issued by the US which they had represented in several world championships and the other by Philcycling.

“We were not able to thresh out the problem in Indonesia during the SEA Games due to time constraints, but we will be fixing everything in the coming days so they can already carry the country’s flag in the Asian Championships and the World Championships,” Philcycling secretary general Manding Bautista assured SCOOP members during the forum, sponsored  by Coca-Cola Export, FILA, TV 5 and UNTV.

To qualify for the standard road and track races, a rider must earn the needed points by participating in world-ranking UCI-sanctioned international competitions.