Galedo sets sights on Asian Games

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - – Newly crowned Le Tour de Filipinas champion Mark Galedo looks to don the Philippine colors and try to bring more honor for the country in the Incheon Asian Games.

Galedo, gold medalist in the men’s 50K ITT in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, boosted his bid for a slot in Team Phl Thursday when he beat foreign and local rivals for the crown in the UCI-sanctioned Class 2.2 race.

PhilCycling officials had designated the fifth edition of the Le Tour as one of the qualifying events for the Asiad as well as the Asian Championships.

“Isa rin yan sa iniisip ko dito sa Le Tour kasi bago pa man mag-umpisa ang karera sinabi na nila na isa ito sa sinisilip nila para piliin ang Filipino riders na pupunta (Winning a berth to the Asian Games also motivated me in this race),” said the champ from 7-Eleven Roadbike continental team.

Galedo, 28, enjoyed his crowning moment in the Le Tour as he erased the bitter memories of a major meltdown in an earlier campaign in Ronda Pilipinas.

With this feat, he is expected to vault higher into the UCI’s Asian rankings, stringing up 53 points with his individual general classification title, win in stage two, and runner-up finish in stage four.

“Napakalaking bagay ito para sa kanya, sa team at sa bansa (This is a very important feat not only for Galedo but for the team and the country) because this will bring us up on the leaderboard,” said 7-Eleven team director Ric Rodriguez.

“He’ll now be in the Top 30 or 50 in UCI Asian ranking because of this,” he added.

Galedo eyes to follow up his Le Tour triumph with a second consecutive crown in the Pedal to the Meadow, a high-altitude climb race in Hawaii next month.

He will later spearhead Roadbike as it vies in the nine-stage Tour de Singkarak in June in Indonesia.