Estayo flashes old sprint skills in criterium race

Former Padyak Pinoy Sprint King and ex-national rider Nilo Estayo proved he still has it when it comes to sprint, ruling the second leg of the 2009 Road Bike 7-eleven Manila Criterium Grand Prix: The Johnson Ang Memorial Race Sunday at Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Out of nowhere, the Pozzorubio, Pangasinan native came rushing into the finish line after getting almost 29 seconds behind a nine-group lead pack in the final two additional laps to win the title plus the P7,000 top prize and a trophy. Earlier, Estayo posted six immediate sprint points after ruling the second and third immediate sprint race in the third and sixth lap, respectively, finishing only a point behind back-to-back elite category Sprint King Orly Villanueva of Nueva Ecija who went home with the special prize of P1,000 and a gift pack. After one hour allotted for 60 elite riders to traverse the three-kilometer loop from Quirino Avenue to TM Kalaw in 12 laps, nine riders led by former two-time tour champion Victor Espiritu, Arnel Quirimit, Rey Martin, Mark Julius Bonzo, Arnel Aves, Tots Tonido, Joseph Millanes, Hilson Mangahis and Villanueva broke away from the main peloton to form the lead pack. But during the last of the additional two laps, Estayo along with Ronnel Hualda, Lito Atilano, Lloyd Reynante and Sherwin Carrera wrested the pace from the lead group. Estayo eventually outsprinted his companions for the win. Hualda took the runner-up prize of P5,000, Atilano got P3,000, Vinyl team captain and first leg runner-up Reynante won P2,000 while Carrera netted P1,000 for finishing second, third, fourth and fifth, in that order. Also making it to the top ten were Rodolfo Malangsa Jr., Richard Autivia, Villanueva, Oliver Niebres and Nikko Cortez who all went home with P500. Scoring a double victory was PhilCycling director Alex Billan, who once more ruled the all Filipino-Chinese category, edging LPGMA president Arnel Ty, and annexed the 36 to 45 age category where he bested former tour veteran Juan Aquino Jr. Billan also won the Sprint King titles in both categories. Grabbing a share of the spotlight were top junior rider George Oconer, son of national team coach and former Olympian Bert Oconer, who topped the under 25 years old bracket; Dwight Cabajal (above 56); Arnel Aves (26-to-35); and veteran Ruel Gendrano (46-to-55). GMANews.TV