Monday, May 28, 2007 ‘Challenged’ Gonzales beats the 10-mile odds
REX Gonzales may not be your picture-perfect bike rider but the one-armed pedal-pushing veteran bucked all odds yesterday to become one of the first-ever champions in the CC10-mile Individual Time Trial race in Catmon, Cebu.
The 44-year-old bet from Alumnos, Mambaling registered the fastest time of 23 minutes and 57 seconds from Kilometer 48 in Catmon to Kilometer 56 and vice versa to beat 30 other rivals from Cebu, Surigao and Leyte for the Category B championship title during the event’s debut here.
A veteran of many national and local cycling races around the country, Gonzales lost a part of his arm from his hands to his wrist when he was still 10 years old after being electrocuted with a live wire during a storm.
Undaunted
The injury, though, failed to dampen the competitive spirit of Gonzales, whose father was a newspaper vendor, as he brushed aside his handicap when he entered the world of competitive cycling.
His first major achievement was when he won a stage in the now-defunct Marlboro Tour and the rest is history.
Teodorico Tumulak came in several seconds later than Gonzales as the former inked a clocking of 24.06 to snare the second spot, while Spark Kleen’s Stephen Chian secured the third spot with his time of 24.22.
Arafura Games campaigner Jerome Rodriguez joined the elite ranks of the category as he logged in a time of 24.36, while early favorite Orlan Toring completed the top five riders with a time of 24.51 to land in the fifth spot.
Par excellence
In the Category C battle, truck driver Jaime Noynay proved he’s not only good with motor vehicles but also in cycling as he knocked out 30 rivals including Briton Nob Clarke, who was the one who introduced the 10 miler ITT in Cebu after competing in the event for 10 years in Great Britain.
Winners
Noynay inked a time of 24.58 to snare the Category C championship title followed by Frank Alindao, who finished second with a time of 25.31, and Clarke, who settled for the third spot with a clocking of 25.34.
Rounding out the top five riders in the category were Roger Lastimoso (26.13) at fourth and John Gayatin (26.17) at fifth.
The sponsors of the event were Nob Clarke, Vellum, Jong Sepulveda, Alpine Electrical Supply, Titay’s Rosquillos, TWO sandals, Vios Construction, Recycle and cebucycling.com. (JSV)
