THE Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) Track and Para Track Championships got off to a rousing start on Wednesday at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome with close to 600 cyclists from 16 countries in full harness to earn titles as continental champions.
For Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the country’s track program “is starting from scratch” amid the event’s magnitude that, admittedly, Filipino riders aren’t expected to medal.
“I don’t expect any medal or podium finish here for our track cycling team,” said Tolentino, president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee and PhilCycling. “We’re starting from scratch... we’re still calibrating and adjusting.”
“So we will learn, little by little, and we will soon learn it,” he added.
For Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio, the championships are a dream come true — both for the country and Tolentino.
“It’s a dream come true for President Tolentino, and for the country,” Gregorio said in his speech during the well-attended, lively and colorful opening ceremony ahead of the actual races at the velodrome’s infield.
The Tagaytay CT Velodrome is a world-class cycling facility that replaced the then iconic but now demolished Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City — a facility that served cycling since the 1960s until Tolentino built a UCI-standard track at the heart of Tagaytay City that’s now rising to become the country’s “Olympic Center.”
ACC president Datu Amarjit Singh Gill put authority and prestige to the occasion, alongside Mayor Brent Tolentino, Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barreto, Uzbekistan Cycling Federation secretary-general Khurshid Atakulov Bakhodirjanovich and Saudi Cycling Federation president Abdulaziz Al-Shahrani.
Joining them were PSC commissioners Walter Torres and Eduardo Hayco, Tagaytay City Vice Mayor Agnes Tolentino, and former Cavite governor Athena Tolentino.
“We finally hosted this event after 31 long years. And it is really a dream come true for Philippines sports,” Tolentino said. “We are thankful to ACC and UCI for helping us.” TMT
JUSTIN Quiban strengthened his hold on the ICTSI Lakewood Championship, turning the P3 million event into a potential personal showcase with an eagle-aided 68 as he extended his lead to five strokes over Ryan Monsalve midway through in Cabanatuan City on Wednesday.
Though he cooled off from his blistering, record-setting 62 on Tuesday, Quiban’s steady 33-35 round under another scorching day proved more than enough to widen the gap between him and the rest of the elite field.
Monsalve, however, mounted a strong charge in one of the later groups, carding a 67 he also highlighted by an eagle to climb to solo second. Still, Quiban’s 36-hole aggregate of 14-under 130 gave him firm control, with Monsalve trailing at 135.
Korean Taewon Ha also impressed with a 67 to move into third at 136.
“I felt I hit the driver just as well. If anything, I just wasn’t holing as many putts as I did yesterday. But I was hitting my lines — it’s just how it goes sometimes,” said Quiban.
“I’m focused on what I need to do. The plan is to stay in the present and stay locked in, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that,” he added.
Despite trailing by five, Monsalve remains optimistic about his chances of a breakthrough.
Rupert Zaragosa surged into contention with a 66 after a 71, climbing to solo fourth at 137. Lloyd Go and Keanu Jahns also made their moves with identical 68s to share fifth.
Rico Depilo fired a 67, while Jeffren Lumbo shot a 70 as they joined erstwhile runner-up Miki Ryoma at seventh with 139. Ryoma stumbled with a 73 after an opening 66.
Defending champion Sean Ramos, meanwhile, faltered after a first-round 68, limping home with a 72 despite a birdie on No. 8 to salvage his round. He dropped to a tie for 10th at 140 alongside Dino Villanueva, Fidel Concepcion and Russell Bautista.
Villanueva highlighted his round with four straight birdies to open his backside en route to a 67. Bautista eagled No. 8 but offset it with four bogeys for a 72, while Concepcion rallied late with three birdies in his last six holes for a 69.
A total of 43 players advanced to the final two rounds of this kickoff leg of the Philippine Golf Tour season, with Gerald Rosales (72), Paul Echavez (73), Mars Pucay (74), Tae Won Kim (75) and Brycen Ko (79) posting identical 148s to make the cut.
Quiban’s round, however, was far from flawless. Starting at the back nine, he birdied No. 10 but stumbled with a double bogey on the par-3 11th. He quickly recovered with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, then strung together steady pars before birdying the par-5 fourth for the second straight day.
He regained momentum with a birdie on the par-3 sixth, bounced back from a missed up-and-down on the seventh, and capped his round in style — eagling the par-5 eighth after a superb drive and a precise second shot from 160 yards to within four feet.
