BAGUIO CITY—Tinanghal na hari ng 2018 Le Tour de Filipinas kahapon si El Joshua Cariño ng Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance.
Ibinuhos ng 25-anyos na si Cariño ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya sa dulo ng 154.65-km final leg na nagsimula sa Lingayen, Pangasinan at nagtapos dito sa Burnham Park.
Tumapos lamang siya sa pangatlong puwesto sa karera kahapon pero sapat na ito para makopo ang korona sa individual race ng Le Tour de Filipinas na suportado ng Air21, Cignal at Cargohaus Inc.
Nanaig sa fourth leg kahapon si Eritrean Metkel Eyob ng Terengganu Cycling Team sa tiyempong apat na oras, limang minuto at 52 segundo.
Si Cariño, na nanalo sa ikatlong leg noong Martes, ay may kabuuang tiyempong 12 oras, 25 minuto at 13 segundo para maging ikatlong Pinoy na manalo sa tanging International Cycling Union-sanctioned road race sa bansa.
Una nang nagkampeon dito si Baler Ravina noong 2012 at sinundan ni Mark Galedo noong 2014.
“Napakasarap. Parang hindi ako makapaniwala,” sabi ni Cariño.
“Dati nanood lang ako sa mga foreigners, sa mga Pinoy doon sa Kennon (Road). Ngayon ako na ‘yung pinapanood ng mga siklista. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na ako talaga ‘yung nanalo.”
Para masiguro ang kampeonato ay hinabol ni Cariño ang mga nagungunang siklista paakyat ng Baguio City.
“Ang plano ko bago mag-Lion’s Head, aatake na ako kasi nakita ko ‘yung mga foreigners medyo nahihirapan na kaya doon ako tumira,” sabi ni Cariño, na pinarangalan din bilang Best Sprinter at Best Filipino Rider.
“Kahit nahihirapan na ako, tiniis ko na lang dahil maraming mga Pilipino ang nagbibigay ng morale boost sa akin.”
Ang nakababatang kapatid niyang si Daniel Ven Cariño ay nagwagi naman bilang Best Young Rider (under-23) at pumangalawa sa overall standings.
Pumangatlo si Ronald Oranza ng Philippine Navy (12:27:49) habang ang national champion na at isa pang Navyman na si Jan Paul Morales (12:28:09) ay pumang-apat sa karera.
Nagkampeon naman sa team event ang Navy na may total clocking na 37 oras, 21 minuto at 41 segundo na pitong minuto ang lamang sa pumangalawang 7-Eleven.
counterparts wound up second in the race.
That somehow eased some pain they felt after Navy vital cog Junrey Navarra suffered a suspected pelvic injury after being hit by a race marshal in Umingan, Pangasinan, that negated him out of title contention.
Instead of being rattled, the Navymen moved on quick from that sorry incident and still buckled down to work, led by Eyob emerged as the King of the Mountain winner with 27 accumulated points, five more than Oranza, while Cariño’s younger brother, Daniel Ven, finished as the Best Young Rider in the 16-team field.
Rounding up the Top 10 were Forca Amskins’ John Ebsen (fifth spot, 12:28:45), Galedo (sixth, 12:30:03), Daniel Ven Cariño (seventh, 12:30:35), 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike PH’s Marcelo Felipe (eighth, 12:32:36), Go for Gold’s Ismael Grospe (ninth, 12:31:43) and Pishgaman’s Amir Kolahdouzhagh (10th, 12:32:23.)
Tour organizers, meanwhile, lauded Baguio City Maurico Domogan and Major Oliver Panabang, chief PNP Baguio City traffic division, for a smooth traffic flow from the Lion’s Head on the way up to the City of Pines. The route to the finish up Kennon Road was lined by more than a hundred uniformed rookie police officers who guaranteed the safety of the riders.
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