CEBUANA cyclist Ana Patricia “Ica” Maximo of Fizik-Santini was unfazed despite being the lone female competitor in the men’s golden category and bagged the second overall title in the Bike for Hope Challenge last Saturday.
The two-time Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) awardee clocked 1 hour 43 minutes and 42 seconds in the 47-kilometer road cycling event, which started in Liloan and ended at Lugo, Borbon.
The 16-year-old Maximo, a Grade 10 student of Sacred Heart School- Hijas de Jesus, made her move in the last 15K and pedaled hard to break away from the pack and was solo heading to Lugo, Borbon.
But the Batang Pinoy national champion Maximo lost that lead at the foot of the Lugo climb to fast charging Danny Ermitanio, who eventually ran away with the overall title after crossing the finish line in 1:38:00.
“It was a good exposure for me racing with men as I prepare for upcoming national races in Manila and Luzon,” said the 2015 Philippine National Games medalist Maximo.
Other cyclists who made it to the top ten are Robert Reyes, Jonathan Rabutin, Alfredo Cañete, Lando Medico, Eufronceno Pedrano, Berwin Velayo, Antonio Villahermosa and Gregorio Olmilla.
The race was organized by Capt. Fernando de Rojo and Blessed Hope Christian Fellowship and was supported by Cebu MultiSport.