A crack six-member road cycling team will shoot for berths on Team Philippines to the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, when it flies to Kuala Lumpur this weekend to compete in the 2006 Asian Cycling Championships.
The team, backed primarily by the Philippine Sports Commission, is composed of 2006 Padyak Pinoy champion Santy Barnachea, former Tour Pilipinas titlists Warren Davadilla and Arnel Quirimit, Padyak Pinoy King of the Mountain John Ricafort, 2005 Golden Tour runner-up Frederick Feliciano and Padyak Pinoy second-placer Ericson Obosa.
National head coach Jomel Lorenzo, assistant coaches Renato Dolosa and Gerardo Amar, and equipment custodian Edwin Niyo will accompany the riders. Sixteen-year-old Mark Julius Bonzo will also join the team to compete in the Asian championships’ juniors’ track events.
PhilCycling president Bert Lina said the federation also wants the road team to qualify for Doha. Nine track cyclists have already made the grade for the Asain Games after their impressive performance in the 2006 Track Asia Cup Rounds 1 and 2 in Ipoh, Malaysia, and Bangkok, Thailand, in July.
The qualified track (velodrome) riders to Doha are Baby Marites Bitbit, Alfie Catalan, Paterno Curtan Jr., Carlo Jasul, Arnold Marcelo, Alvin Benosa, Paulo Manapul, Edwin Paragoso and John Paul Morales.
