Three teams to banner Philippine campaign in Le Tour

MANILA, Philippines - Continental team 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines, up-and-coming club Kopiko Cebu Cycling Team and the Phl National Team will carry the fight for the hosts when the seventh Le Tour de Filipinas hits the road from Antipolo City to Legazpi City on Feb. 18-21.

The three will try to keep the flag flying in the UCI-sanctioned bikefest against 12 foreign teams led by Japan’s Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team which will be parading anew last year’s individual general classification winner, Frenchman Thomas Lebas.

Marcelo Felipe, Spanish Edgar Nieto, veteran Baler Ravina, Australian Jessie Ewart and youthful Jay Lampawog will banner Road Bike while Ronald Oranza, John Mark Camingao, George Oconer, and Ronald Lomotos will wear the Phl jersey. Lampawog was also listed as part of the Nationals.

Kopiko will field Ronnel Hualda, former SEAG champ John Mier, Oscar Rendole, Elmer Navarro and the Pagnanawon brothers Jayhop and Jhunvie.

“Our target is to have Marcelo Felipe contend for the crown. The guy is ready; we’ve seen him in the last quarter of 2015 and he had five podium finishes. We’re going to work with it,” said Road Bike team manager Ric Rodriguez.

Kopiko, which placed third in the team general classification of the Tour Siak in Indonesia, aims to be competitive on its maiden appearance in the UCI Category 2.2 race organized by Ube Media headed by Donna May Lina and presented by Air21.

“They’re experienced riders and we’re equally competitive as they showed when we raced in Siak,” said coach Ednalyn Hualda.

The 2016 Le Tour will go to Bicolandia for the first time. Stage One will have the riders taking on a rolling 153 km ride from Antipolo City to Lucena City in Quezon. Stage Two will see them pedaling 204 kms from Lucena to Daet, Camarines Norte afterwhich they will ride to Legazpi in Albay, where the majestic Mayon Volcano will be awaiting to awe with its perfect cone.

Stage Four will see the riders circling Mayon Volcano twice on an out-and-back 147-km route in Legazpi.

“We’re excited to go to Mt. Mayon for the seventh edition of the Le Tour de Filipinas,” said Lina during yesterday’s press launch.

Lina was joined by Netherlands Ambassador to the Philippines Marion Derckx, Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal, Daet Mayor Tito Sarion, PhilCycling secretary general Avelino Sumagui, race director Paquito Rivas, commissaire Adolfo Cruz, and Air21 president Rudy Fulo.

Other foreign teams are Minsk Cycling Club (Belarus), Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team (UAE), Team Ukyo (Japan), Team Novo Nordisk (USA), Global Cycling Team (Holland), Team Sauerland p/b Henley & Partners (Germany), LX IIBS Cycling Team (Korea), Korail Continental Cycling Team (Korea), Terrengganu Cycling Team (Malaysia), Attaque Team Gusto (Taiwan) and Black Inc. Cycling Team (Laos).

“The first and second days are very important. In the first, we have Bugarin which is mountaineous going to the finish in Lucena. The second day, it will be a long climb in Atimonan. After that, it would be relatively easier,’ said Rodriguez.

The race is supported by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, Petron, Phenom Athletic Apparel, S-Link and Novo Nordisk. Event partners are Kopiko, 7-Eleven, Viking Rent-A-Car, Luxent Hotel, DOS-1, Isuzu, and 3E Logistics. Other supporters are Collab, Rainforest Natural Mineral Water, Prudential Guarantee, NMN and UFL.