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Locals settle for crumbs in foreign-dominated Tour of Luzon
Foreigners dominated the field as Baler Ravina and the rest of the local bets settled for crumbs in the 2010 LPGMA Tour of Luzon that ended at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City. South African rider Dennis Von Nickerk of the EMG Cycling Team ruled the nine-day race, leading a 1-2-3 finish for the foreign invaders as Ravina emerged the best-performing Filipino at fourth spot.
And it did not help that Ravina suffered a spate of bad luck prior to the start of the race. "Siguro kung hindi ako minalas, malaki sana yung pag-asa ko. Kaso hindi pa nagsisimula yung karera, inabot na ako ng malas," said the 28-year-old native of Asingan, Pangasinan whoâs now based in the town of Pozzorubio. The former Tour of Luzon and Padyak Pinoy King of the Mountain was referring to an accident prior to the bikefest, wherein he was hit by a motorcycle on his way to the Quezon City Velodrome and suffered cuts and bruises on his left thigh and leg. "Ininda ko rin yung sakit nun ng ilang araw before ako naka-recover sa kalagitnaan na ng karera," said Ravina whose highest finish in a lap was third place in the initial stage where he was outsprinted by EMG team captain James Perry and Von Nickerk for the lap honors in Macapagal Avenue. He also had the chance to inch in and make it to the top 3 during the seventh lap in Subic but for the second time around, he suffered a flat tire entering the last seven kilometers to the finish line. And so Ravina got left behind by Pinoy riders in the breakaway group, led by Irish Valenzuela of American Vinyl and Josel Calderon of Smart wound up 1-2 in in the said leg. "Siguro babawi na lang ako sa Padyak [Pinoy race]. Sana suwertihin na ako dun," said Ravina, who also led his Team Liquigaz to a runner-up finish in the team overall classification behind champion Kelly Benefits Strategies of US. After nine days of action, Von Nickerk accumulated a total of 20 hours, 41 minutes and 36.31 seconds to take home the title and the P50,000 purse, just 6.2 seconds ahead of second placer David Veilleux of Kelly Benefits, who netted the runner-up prize of P40,000 and an additional P10,000 for being the best young rider (under 23).
Riders negotiate Ayala Avenue in the final lap of the LPGMA Tour of Luzon. Gil Ancheta
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