Obscure rider rules kickoff leg

SARANGANI, Philippines – Unheralded Orlie Villanueva ended his long quest for recognition as he led V-Mobile’s blazing start in the team time trial that ushered in the second LBC Ronda Pilipinas here yesterday.

Villanueva, a protege of former Tour sprint king Bernard Luzon, surprised the field with an impressive run as he towed the all-Nueva Ecijano V-Mobile squad to the early victory by clocking identical 27 minutes in the 20.6-km lap.

For his feat, the 30-year-old San Leonardo native will wear the red or leader’s jersey going into today’s 183.3km Stage One starting and ending in front of the General Santos City Hall. He earned 10 seconds for topping the prologue and P12,500 in cash.

It also ended Villanueva’s eight-year search for a first lap win on the tour.

“My highest finish in my eight years on the Tour was second or third. I’m just happy my hard work paid off,” said Villanueva, a tricycle driver back home, in Filipino.

“I’m also thankful to my cousin (Luzon) for helping me prepare for this year’s tour,” he added.

Oscar Rindole, a noted mountain-climber, came in second while team captain Joel Calderon settled for third as V-Mobile, which was flagged off second in the 16-team field, seized the lead in the team category with a combined time of one hour, 21 minutes in this six-to-ride, three-to-count format meet.

Heading to Stage One, Villanueva will carry a time of 26.50 minutes, Rindole 26.54 and Calderon 26.56 while teammates Alfredo Asuncion, Ray Martin and Nicardo Guanzon all tote a clocking of 27.00, 21 seconds ahead of American Vinyl’s Irish Valenzuela, its new captain, Ronnel Hualda, Cris Joven and youthful Rudy Roque.

V-Mobile rode with an average speed of 48km to 50km per hour with Villanueva and teammates alternating for the lead every 25 seconds to buck the strong winds along the relatively flat lap.

“That’s part of the plan, to step up the pace but not hurry much and alternate in front every 25 seconds,” said Calderon from Guimban.

For the 31-year-old Calderon, it’s all about pacing and a question of conserving one’s energy so as not to repeat his meltdown last year that enabled Santy Barnachea, now with Phl Navy-Standard, to snatch the crown.

“I’m okay at third, I just don’t want to repeat what happened to me last year,” he said.

American Vinyl, the defending team champion now boosted by the arrival by former 7-Eleven standout Valenzuela, finished second in 1:22.03 while Phl Army-RC Cola checked in at No. 3 in 1:22.24.

Roque, who turned 21 early this month and finished a strong ninth in his Tour debut a year ago, leads the Young Rider race last won by last year’s third placer George Oconer of the Phl Under-23 team.

American Vinyl coach Renato Dolosa, who has won numerous titles both as a cyclist and a coach, knows they’re on the right track.

“I’m satisfied with what happened today,” said Dolosa, whose charges also started slow in the first leg last year before finding their rhythm and form in the succeeding stages to dominate the team event, in Filipino.

The Air Force man from Victorias, Negros Occidental, an eight-year Tour veteran, ruled the 156.5km stage that started in Cagayan de Oro for his first ever stage victory since copping the 2003 Eagle of the Mountain race on his rookie year.

In today’s 183.3km Stage One, all 96 riders will start in front of the General Santos City Hall, go through a pair of peloton-splitting Category 4 climbs in neighboring Kiamba, Sarangani, and head back to this clean and quiet city.

But focus in the 15-stage, 19-day, 2,080.5km tour put up by LBC Express Inc., will still be on Barnachea, who is eyeing a historic fourth title, and his star-studded Phl Navy-Standard squad composed of fellow veterans Lloyd Lucien Reynante, Frederick Feliciano and Eusebio Quinones.

Warren Davadilla, the only cyclist to win a title in the fabled Marlboro Tour in its last staging in 1998 and the modern era in 2005, and Arnel Quirimit, who won it all in 2003, are out to flash vintage form against a slew of young riders and contend for the crown one more time.

“I can still do it,” said the 37-year-old Davadilla, who snatched a lap honor last year and deferred retirement for one more shot at the crown.

“I’m still strong,” said Quirimit, also 37.

Twenty-year-old sensation in Oconer, son of former Olympian Norberto, is also one of the favorites following his third place finish last year.

RONDA NOTES: Loreto Mandi, who won numerous laps but never the big one, is taking on former rivals Renato Dolosa of American Vinyl and Bernard Llentada, both former Tour champs, as coach of One Tarlac...The Ronda caravan has tapped the massive, red-colored media bus that was once used as the service bus of the Azkals and as the former official bus of the Batangas Blades of the defunct MBA...LBC Foundation, headed by Nena Wuthrich, donated 17 used bikes that went with the same number of helmets, Toms shoes, bags and school supplies to needy students of Sarangani.