Tour of Luzon: Guevarra grabs 2nd lap win, yellow jersey

MANILA, Philippines – Mark Guevarra survived a flat tire and rode on the support of his 7-11/Road Bike teammates to become the first twin-stage winner and the new overall leader of the 2009 Liquigaz-LPGMA Tour of Luzon after Friday’s Burlington Cabanatuan-to-Baguio Stage 5. Guevarra, winner of Stage 3 last Wednesday, finished the 172.8 kilometer stage which ended at Lake Drive in Burnham Park in four hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds to grab the yellow jersey from two-day leader Lloyd Reynante of American Vinyl. The 23-year-old Guevarra got a big lift from 7-11/Road Bike team captain Dante Cagas and teammates Sherwin Diamsay and Joseph Millanes. “Hindi ko talaga akalain na makakarating ako dito, kasi na-flat tire ako sa may Talavera (Nueva Ecija). Malaking tulong talaga ang mga teammates ko dahil hinila nila ako hanggang sa makabuntot ulit sa lead group," Guevarra said. 7-11/Road Bike, the pacesetter in the team competitions since Stage 1, was actually concerned more about tightening its grip of the leadership. Guevarra’s lap win came as a nice bonus. “Kasi ang plano talaga namin bago magsimula ang lap na ito ay maalagaan lang yung team at kung makakasabit si Guevarra sa unahan, tutulungan namin," explained Cagas. Diamsay and Millanes agreed. “Kung kaya naman naming makarating dito sa finish line nang sabay-sabay, mas maganda kaya hindi namin siya (Guevarra) iniwanan," they said. Finishing second behind Guevarra was Team Batang Tagaytay’s Hilson Mangahis who also made a big leap from third place to second place in the overall individual standings after the first climb to Baguio City with a time of 4:49:58.. Mangahis was with former leader Reynante in the main peloton before the start of the climb in La Union but slowly managed to catch up with the breakaway group going into the final 15 kilometers. He got past his team skipper Baler Ravina, Liquigaz’ Cris Joven, DPT Law team captain Joel Calderon, Liquigaz’ Ronel Hualda, Diamsay and Edgar Bolloser of Happy Nuts. “Pinakiramdaman ko po nung bago umahon kung kaya kong humabol. Ang ginawa ko ay unti-unti hanggang sa abutan ko sila pagdating na dito sa Baguio City," said Mangahis. Twenty-two year-old Joven, a tour second timer from Iriga who was with Guevarra in the lead entering the last 25 kilometer marker, dropped to third place with 4:50:19, his ride bothered by stomach cramps. “Medyo nahuli po kasi yung bigay ng pagkain kaya nanigas ang tiyak ko sa lamig at sa gutom kaya ako naiwanan," said Joven. Checking in fourth was Calderon with a time of 4:50:30, followed by Ravina who also dropped to fifth place after the cold temperature caused by the heavy rains slowed him down (4:51:53). Reagsco team captain Warren Davadilla came in sixth (4:53:17), followed by Julius Diaz of American Vinyl and Tomas Martinez, another rider from 7-11, who registered the came clocking as Davadilla. Going into Saturday’s penultimate stage, also known as the ‘killer Baguio-to-Bagiuio stage, Guevarra has compiled a total time of 19 hours, 36 minutes and 45 seconds. He stands five minutes and 37 seconds ahead of former leader Reynate who slipped down to third place. “Pangarap ko po talaga ito, yung manalo ng lap na ito at kasama na rin yung magsuot ng yellow jersey," said Guevarra, winner of the last qualifying for the tour held in Sierra Madre. “Pero sa totoo lang po, talagang yung team lang yung concern namin dito, ni wala sa isip ko na magtsa-champion ako. Ngayong nandito na, pipilitin ko na pong madepensahan at tulung-tulong din kami ng mga kakampi ko na makuha na yung team championship," he added. My Photos skipper Merculio Ramos also slipped down from second to fourth in the overall individual standings with 19:42:57. Others in the Top 10 are Millanes (19:43:31), Calderon (19:44:58), Rendole (19:45:09), Martinez (19:46:05), Cagas (19:46:23) and Davadilla (19:51:14) who jumped from 12th place to 10th overall. –GMANews.TV