Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The real complexion of the 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas has started to stage up after Monday's Stage Three from Cauayan City, where Uzbekistan Suren skipper Azamat Turaev served notice of his mountain climbing skills.
Turaev ruled the stage that was highlighted by a Category 1 King of the Mountain Summit. He clocked in at 2 hours, 23 minutes and 36 seconds over a distance of 102.5-km.
The 19-year-old Turaev was vocal about his intention to snatch this year’s crown, saying, “The steeper, the better.”
"Tomorrow (Stage Four) is our race. We ride better in the mountains," added Uzbekistan Suren team manager Mostafa Chaichi.
The fourth stage is bound to punish the 74 surviving cyclists with two Hors (highest) category climbs and a dizzying downhill finish to Burnham Park.
Turaev progressed from eighth to fifth in the individual general classification and has developed as a potential threat to the yellow jersey, which German rider Timo Scholz of CCN Cycling Team will be wearing for the second straight day.
"I didn't expect to keep the yellow (jersey). Honestly, I'm not in good shape to defend it," said Scholz, the oldest rider in the tour at 39 years old.
"We'll see what happens tomorrow," he added.
Scholz snatched the leader’s jersey from Mail and More’s Oscar Rendole, who on Saturday became the first Filipino to win a stage in a UCI race. Go21’s Arnel Quirimit made it back-to-back for the Philippines when he won Sunday’s second stage.
Scholz was 18th on Monday, crossing the finish line 21 seconds after Turaev. He was with a big group that included contenders Alexander Malone of the Australian team Plan B, Singapore OCBC’s Loh Sea Keong and Rendole.
Malone remained at second overall, 26 seconds behind Scholz. Loh (25 seconds) and Rendole (1:06) kept their third and fourth positions in the general classification, while Dutch Global’s Koos Jeroen Kers dropped to sixth from fifth (1:46).
Rounding out the top 10 were Rudy Roque of LPGMA-American Vinyl at seventh (1:52 behind), Bikenz-PureBlack’s James Williamson at eighth (1:52 behind), Filipino Baler Ravena of Go21 at ninth (2:11) and Indonesian Rastra Patria of Colossi at 10th place (2:13).
In the overall team classification, Mail and More remained in the lead with a 14-second lead over LPGMA-American Vinyl and 1:05 over Go21.
Uzbekistan Suren also made progress by running third, 1:20 behind Mail and More, followed by CCN Cycling Team (1:44), Dutch Global (2:54), PureBlack (4:45), Kia (6:44), Aisan Racing Team (6:53) and Terranganu Racing Team (7:32).
Smart-PhilCycling was 11th, followed by OCBC Singapore, Plan B, Colossi Mich, Action Cycling Team and Yogyakarta.
Source: GMA News
-- PhilCycling president Bambol Tolentino said the 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas is proof of global cycling's recognition of the country's contribution to the continuous development of the sport.
The Le Tour, now on its third year and the only local race that is part of the International Cycling Union's (Union Cycliste Internationale, UCI) Asian Tour calendar, is set from April 14 to 17. The four-stage race starts in Sta. Ana, Cagayan with the finish line at Burnham Park in Baguio City.
"It's not very easy to organize a multi-stage road race, and having it sanctioned by the UCI for that matter. The cycling world would be focusing on the Philippines for four days, thus keeping the flames burning for the annual summer sports spectacle that the Filipino fan has enthusiastically followed for more than half a century now," said Tolentino.
Tolentino added top foreign cyclists, some noted international campaigners, are out to challenge the Filipino riders.
"The foreign opposition may be that tough, tougher to be more precise, but the Le Tour de Filipinas definitely gives our local cycling heroes the opportunity to match skills and grit with some of the world's best in a sport where heart, inspiration and dedication play a major role," he said.
The first stage on April 14 will cover 155 kilometers from Port Irene in Sta. Ana to Tuguegarao City. Stage Two, April 15, will be a 110-km ride from Tuguegarao to Cauayan City. The third stage on April 16 will be a 102-km journey to Bayombong.
After three days of sprints, the 85 cyclists representing 12 foreign and five local teams shift their focus and strength to maximum gear as they pedal on steep climbs on the Cordilleras toward Burnham Park via Benguet Province, a distance of 153 kms.
