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Monday, March 08, 2004
Niño Surban gets national team seat
By JADE S. VIOLETA
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
RISING from depression following his father’s death this year, defending champion Niño Surban bounced back with passion as he made a repeat in the 2004 Danao City Mayor’s Cup National Mountainbike Cross-Country competition in Brgy. Manlayag Patag, Danao City.
Surban of Talamban, Cebu City demonstrated the raw power to leave his rivals far behind in the grueling five-lap, 35-kilometer grind and secure a place in the Philippine team.
The win somehow helped the 2003 titlist Surban get over with the demise of his father last January, which left him in distress and uninterested to practice. He clocked in at one hour, 39 minutes and .07 seconds to grab the championship in the Men’s Open.
At the sound of the starting gun, Surban wasted no time in establishing his dominance over his older rivals, leaving his closest pursuer, 2003 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Eusebio “Eboy” Quiñones, by more than a minute in just the second lap.
Quiñones eventually quit after the third lap but he still earned a seat in the national team owing to his victory in Vietnam.
Also making it to the national team, which will represent the country in the Southeast Asian Mountainbike Competition this June also in Danao, is former Asian Mountainbike medalist Eric Feleciano, who registered 1:44.33 to finish second.
Cebu City’s Evic Largo will likewise join the national squad as he landed third with a time of 1:46.40, while the last slot was taken by Davao City’s Ruel Casaljay, who came in at 1:49.03.
In the Downhill race, defending champion Michael Borja of Iloilo City showed he’s still the man to beat as he took his second serving of the plum after logging in six minutes and 12.89 seconds. The win earned Borja a spot in the national team.
Dumaguete City’s Joey Barba landed second with a time of 5:17.80, while Manila’s James Sardea snared the third spot with a clocking of 5:29.77.
In the Intermediate Downhill, raking up the first three spots were Bethoven Allena (6:39.55), Pol Hermosa (6:41.56) and Boy Sarol (6:48.49), while the top three finishers in the cross country seniors division were Earl Vince Cadampog (1:9.55), Gilbert Ravello (1:10.20) and Noel Famor (1:12.30).
The Juniors division was ruled by 16-year-old Jepher Neil Fabela, who came in at 47 minutes and eight seconds, while Mark Roll Umbac (48:50) and Audie Anthony Veloria (50.28) finished second and third.
(March 8, 2004 issue)
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