BERNARD LUZON capped a productive 2005 season by sweeping away the leg and overall honors Saturday in the elite pro contest to highlight an explosive windup to the Cycling Search Invitational Series in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Trailing Orly Villanueva by five points entering the fourth and final leg of the event, Luzon came through with a devil-maycare kind of riding to easily win the race in front of an appreciative crowd at the Ilocos Sur provincial capital building.
With the victory, the 29-year-old pride of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija captured his third straight leg in the criterium races and bagged the individual stage pot of
R3,000 plus the overall prize of R5,000 in the series backed by Pagcor Casino Filipino, Partas Transport, TCLSun Inc., Monterey and Arnette extreme sports eyewear.
Luzon finished with 66 points, Villanueva, who took fifth place in the lap, was relegated to second place with 52 points while up and coming Sherwin Carrera was third with 33 points. Villanueva and Carrera also got
R3,000 and R2,000, respectively.
Moreover, the RP-Pagcor Casino Filipino rider’s solid showing powered the San Leonardo Group A to the top of the overall team standings, worth another
R15,000, with 159 points, while the Guimba Bikers Club/Agnes Bikeshop of teammate Albert Primero placed second with 65 points and earned R10,000. The sports Radioreli Tours squad (51) finished third and took home with R5,000.
Dominador Tacutacu and Gendrano finished 1-2 in the elite masters but former Tour of Luzon champion handily won the overall title in the class with 72 points and copped
R5,000 in the event also supported by San Mig Light, Jollibee Vigan and Aktivade.
Stephen Romachien (39), Jayson Duran (30) and Jonel De Guzman (30) took first, second and third place overall in the youth event, each getting another
R5,000, R3,000 and R2,000, respectively in the races endorsed by Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.
Richard Labine held off the opposition to bag the overall championship in the elite men with 72 points, followed by Danilo Ejercito (55) and Ariel Fernando (52). In the side event People’s Race, Darwin Corpuz was first, Franklin Castillo second, Rodolfo Esteban third that was also supported by Vigan Mayor Ferdie Medina.
