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DOHA, Qatar — While the Philippines was anxiously waiting for its first medal Wednesday, China was wondering how to pay for its excess baggage when it returns home from the 15th Asian Games.
Less than six days into the Games, the Chinese have already won 66 gold medals, surpassing the 56 golds the Filipinos collected since [...]

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ALTHOUGH coy about their medal chances, national head coach Jomel Lorenzo said Tuesday Filipino cyclists will be gunning to break three longstanding national records in the Doha Asian Games opening next month.

“This will be in the track team sprint, track team pursuit and the team road time trials,” said Lorenzo in the Philippine Sportswriters Association [...]

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Although women cyclists abound in duathlon and triathlon events in the country, organizers of the 4th Cycling Search Invitational (CSI) would like to see more women joining purely road races in the near future.

Joselito Santos, former national coach and mentor of the all-women David’s Salon Cycling team, said he’d like to see more women competing in the CSI events, as this would prepare them for possible international competitions.

“Actually, marami tayong siklistang mga babae na nasa duathlon at triathlon. Kaya nga ini-encourage namin sila na sumali sa mga road races, katulad ng CSI. But some cannot commit to join because of lack of sponsors na rin and because most of them are professionals,” said Santos, whose most prominent ward in his all-women squad is no less than lady senator Pia Cayetano, a health buff and cycling enthusiast.

So far, 33-year-old Marita Lucas leads the women’s category in the masters’ side of the 4th CSI event after two legs.

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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.

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The country’s best mountain bike riders will square off in the much-awaited Philippine Mountain Bike Championship Pro Tour National Finals on September 1 and 2 at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

Mountain bikers who qualified in the three elimination legs — NCR and Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon and Visayas/Mindanao — will vie for top division honors in the back-breaking event presented by San Mig Light.

Other categories on tap in the said bikefest are the best downhill racer in the novice, women and beginners divisions and the best cross country racer in four age groups — Youth (13 to 17), Junior (18 to 30), Senior (31 to 40), Master (40 and above) — and the women’s division.

The Pro Circuit category, both for downhill and cross country, will highlight the event.

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