Padyak Pinoy 07: Cossack Vodka is team to beat

Cossack Vodka may be the team to beat in 2007 Padyak Pinoy, but team mentor and two-time champion Renato Dolosa believes that the competition is tougher this year. "Syempre nandiyan na intact ang team ko, pero hindi kami pwedeng magsiguro," Dolosa said in a statement Sunday. Dolosa, the Tour champion in 1992 and 1995, is currently the assistant coach for the developmental pool of the PhilCycling's national squad. Cossack Vodka is seeded into this year's race for winning in 2006. "Mas mahaba ngayon kesa noong isang taon [10 stages as to last year's eight stages], at isa pa, may mga former champions at malalakas na riders," he added. The Padyak Pinoy kicks off Thursday. The race covers a total 1, 488.90 kms spread over 10 stages in 11 days. A side event in this year's race again organized by the Dymanic Outsource Solutions Inc. headed by Gary Cayton and also supported by Champion as the 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 is the Padyak Pinoy Executive Race. At least 85 biking executives from the Philippine Executives Cycling Association are racing in the kick-off Prologue on Thursday at the Mall of Asia and in the 10 th stage, a criterium on Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Santy Barnachea will also have his hands full as skipper of the Champion team as he faces the challenge of Dolosa's Cossack composed of team captain Renato Sambrano, assistant skipper Michael Reyes, Roberto Torres, Nilo Jasul, Rookie of the Year Irish Valenzuela, Leonel Dimaano, Edgardo Ballezer and Elli Camarino. Former champions Victor Espiritu, captain of Wow Magic Sing, and Arnel Quirimit, skipper of Mail and More, as well as Fredrick Feliciano (Vellum) and Ericson Obosa (Bacchus) are expected to head their team's campaign in the race again managed by Paquito Rivas's Philippine National Cycling Association, sanctioned by the PhilCycling of Bert Lina and licensed by the Games and Amusements Board chaired by Eric Buhain. Completing the teams with their skippers are Joel Calderon of Caltex, Merculio Ramos of U-Freight, Lloyd Reynante of Air21, Emelito Atilano of Cargohaus, Bernard Luzon of Cool Pap and Roberto Villaver of the Visayas-Mindanao Selection. - GMANews.TV