A BARBER, equipped with an old steel road bike from a junk shop and a borrowed carbon wheel set, overpowered all the riders who joined the Grand Fondo New York (GFNY) Asia Championship held in Iloilo City Sunday, September 22.
Romeo Camingao, 48, placed first in the competitive long-distance course of 133 kilometers with a total time of 3:36:34, crossing the finish line by more than 10 minutes ahead of the second-place winner Ean Cajucom.
Cajucom logged a total time of 3:47:16. The third place went to Eduardo dela Cruz III, with 3:48:16, followed by fourth placer Leopoldo Japitana Jr., with 3:48:17, and fifth winner Kristian Emmanuel Reyes with 3:48:18. Other succeeding winners were at least 20 minutes behind Camingao.
Camingao, a competitive cyclist who has been joining cycling events in the country, said he has mixed feelings because of the challenges in the course.
"Ang sarap ng feeling ko ngayon kapalit ng hirap, pero tyaga tyaga nalang din," Camingao said.
Camingao will represent the Philippines in the GFNY World Championship in New York in May 2020.
But he said his participation in the New York event would depend on his sponsor, businessman Shintaro Valdes of Colnago Manila.
"Hindi ko pa alam, wala naman tayo pambili ng bigas duon, magugutom tayo (I don't know yet. We won't have money with which to buy rice there. We'll go hungry)," he told SunStar.
Camingao, who hails from Marikina, has six children.
He had to find time to train every day aside from balancing between work and raising a family. He bikes between home and work, which is still in Marikina.
"Nakatipid ka na ng pamasahe, kaya mas malaki ang tulong sa bibesekleta, kahit malapit lang basta bike gamit, ok lang," he said.
Camingao said he doesn't know what bike he used.
"Hindi ko alam kung ano kasi nakuha ko lang ito sa junk shop eh, pero ang wheels ko hiniram ko," he said.
Camingao said he has been using the bike for more than a year, although not frequently because he also uses heavier bicycles.
Camingao bested cyclists with more expensive bikes, including the high-end carbon road bikes which weighs less.
"Siguro kondisyon nalng yun, pag nakundisyon ka yun na ang pagkakataon mo," he said.
Camingao used a Colnago frame bike. Colnago frames were first produced in the mid-1980s. His wheel-sets are carbon rims and at 11-speed attached with a 105 Shimano rear derailleur, one of the Shimano's mid-range bike components.
GFNY co-founder and president Lidia Fluhme said the ride in Iloilo was very scenic and the countryside is so beautiful.
"We loved the people coming out of the street cheering and it was so safe. The communities are putting our so many people and controlling the traffic and making it really just an amazing experience in the bike," Lidia said.
"The people who love cycling, they should be coming here and experience all the beauty of Iloilo," she added.
The race had a total of more than 300 participants from 15 Asian nations, including 50 riders from Iloilo.
GFNY co-founder and CEO Uli Fluhme said he was amazed by Iloilo.
"I love your place so beautiful, and the telecom signal is very good," Uli said.
Uli followed and documented the non-competitive middle distance course covering 64 kilometers which his wife Linda joined. Linda came out second in the short course.
The GFNY Asia Championship qualifier race is one of the five continental title series that form part of the 2019-2020 GFNY World Race season.
The overall male and female winners of this leg will earn a ticket to compete in the Campagnolo GFNY World Championship 2020 to be hosted in New York City on May 17, 2020.
The next GFNY race after Philippines will be in Ecuador, Panama, Argentina, Cozumel Mexico, and Chile this 2019. It will be followed by Bali, Monterrey, Uruguay, Colombia, Rep. Dominicana, Jerusalem, Italia, and New York in May 2020. (SunStar Philippines)