BY ALDRIN QUINTO
BUCKING strong winds and the scorching heat, Erick Feliciano
maintained a rapid pace on a completely flat and short course yesterday to
clinch victory in the prologue of the Padyak Pinoy 2007 behind the SM Mall of
Asia.
Flagged off before noon, skippers of the 12 competing squads
endured strong winds coming from the Manila Bay and the sun that baked the
tarmac to blistering temperatures but did not disappoint the crowd that gathered
to watch the event’s kickoff leg, with six of the 12 team captains taking spots
in the top 10.
But it was Feliciano, Vellum team skipper and a noted
mountain bike specialist, who prevailed in the 3.2-kilometer race against the
clock, finishing in three minutes and 55 seconds to claim the right to wear the
yellow jersey in today’s Stage 2 from Quezon City to Cabanatuan.
Four seconds separated him and Wow Magic Sing team captain
Victor Espiritu, winner of the summer bikathon in 1996 and the only other rider
in the 96-man field to finish the individual time trial in under four minutes.
U-Freight assistant captain Alvin Benosa submitted the
third-best time of 4:02 in the event presented by Tanduay in cooperation with
Wow Magic Sing and Air21
"Hindi ko akalain na makukuha ko ito," beamed Feliciano. "Buti
sana kung nung umaga pa, magaan pa ‘yung hangin. Nung kami na, lumalakas na.
"Against the clock, hindi talaga ako malakas diyan," added
the 28-year-old, adding it may have been the new lightweight carbon fiber bike
he is using that helped him cruise to victory.
"Dagdag na siguro ’yung bike. Hindi pa ako nakagamit nito sa
ITT, ngayon lang.
"Pero hindi pa gauge ‘yan ng magiging resulta ng karera.
Hangga’t hindi pa umaabot sa dulo, sa Baguio, maraming pwedeng mangyari."
Espiritu showed fine form in his first Tour appearance in two
years and led the standings for several minutes, his name being blared over the
public address system, until Feliciano blitzed his way out and back the short
course to submit the best time.
"Pacing lang naman para sa yellow jersey, okay lang," said
31-year-old Espiritu. "Hindi natin masasabi ‘yung magiging outcome, mahaba pa
ang karera. ‘Yung kundisyon natin hindi pa sigurado kasi ngayon lang din uli
tayo sasali sa tour."
The rest of the competitors enjoyed calmer and cooler
conditions in the morning but failed to take advantage. The veteran team
captains and co-captains, racing in tougher conditions, stepped up the pace and
seized the top spots in the leaderboard of the race supported by Champion as
official outfitter, Mail and More, Bacchus as official energy drink, Cossack
Vodka, Vellum Cycles, Cargohaus Global Warehouse Services, Caltex, U-Freight
Forwarders and SM Supermalls.
Giving some indication just how tight the 10-stage race would
turn out, Champion team leader and last year’s overall winner Santy Barnachea
placed fourth in 4:07, a clocking matched by 2003 champion Arnel Quirimit, who
placed fifth.
"Preparado naman lahat, kaya hindi isang tao lang ang nasa
isip namin, siyempre," said Barnachea, who is expecting a close fight for most
of the race until the tough mountain stages in Baguio.
A cab rolling by an unblocked part of the course on the north
side of the mall cost Lloyd Lucien Reynante a few precious seconds as he had to
maneuver off the racing line, but the crafty racer still managed to register a
remarkable 4:09 for sixth place.
