Philippine Cycling

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Manila Times Tour of Luzon Supplement - May14, 1960

[edit] HOW IT ALL BEGAN

It was born as P250 gimmick to Ilocos tobacco festival.

Come to think of it, the now P150,000 worth (annually, that is) Tour of Luzon was set to orbit in the space of Philippine sports by a P250 promotional gimmick with a tobacco festival serving as the launching pad.

The idea came from nowhere and fired the imagination of Atty. Geruncio Lacuesta, then with Jose Lauchengco as a promotion man. He was at the time faced with the problem of finding an effective promotional stunt that would catch the attention of the public and get the maximum publicity for the first tobacco festival slated to open on May 1, 1955 at Vigan in conjunction with the first tobacco growers convention under the chairmanship of then Governor Eliseo Quirino.

He broached the idea to the Convention Chairman Eliseo Quirino and with the latter’s approval, the embryo of the “Tour” took shape and what remained was for him to deliver the goods, and in 15 days. With a meager P250 at his disposal and his having no experience in conducting bicycle races literally placed him against a blank wall with nothing to depend except his own resources.

And Atty. Lacuesta did just that. And as usual in a good cause, the Manila-Vigan marathon received instantaneous and unstinted support from the Manila Times and other papers. A total of P2,000.00 in cash prizes, with P1,000.00 going to the top money, was put up for grabs by La Peral Cigar & Cigarette Company. The Manila Times Publishing Company donated plaques for the winners of the race. La Mallorca-Pambusco, through its president, Col. Geminiano F. Yabut, furnished the officiating vehicles. Bicycle dealers gave bicycles as additional prizes.

As planned by Atty. Lacuesta, the participants would be made to race for the honor of representing the late President Ramon Magsaysay’s message to the chairman of the first tobacco growers convention and the plan went through when Ricky Llanos, Manila Times sports editor, blew the whistle on that fateful day of April 27, 1955 in front of the Malacaňang Palace to give the 46 eager-beaver newspaper carriers and messengers the go-signal for the start of the back breaking four day grind under the punishing heat of the April sun.

To Atty. Lacuesta, it was equally back breaking for he had to be the organizer, manager, quartermaster, judge, referee, utility man and all throughout the race.

It was in this one-man show that the name of Antonio Arzala first came into the limelight. It could have been James Herman who won the first lap and maintained his lead up to the second day. But cramps caught up with him in the third day that sidelined him for good. That was more than enough break for Arzala who grabbed the lead from there and went on to win the race with Edgardo Lopez and Jose Orpidio in second and third respectively in the final standings.

On the promotional side, it was a rewarding success for Atty. Lacuesta for the result went beyond his expectation. It was a headline sports story for the entire period of the race.

Something even bigger was achieved by the event and that was the revival of an almost dead sport country, which cycling was at the time. Perhaps it was this that came to Atty. Lacuesta as an afterthought that made him break his resolution not to have anything to do with bicycle race anymore after that Vigan affair.

And indeed, the next year he was up in his sleeves organizing what was to come down in Philippine sports as the first Tour of Luzon and which has since been followed by a yearly Tour of Luzon and twenty six regional tours.

[edit] THREE TOUR TITLISTS

Manila Times – May 14,1960

ANTONIO ARZALA

“I do not have an anting-anting to strengthen me”

I was born in barrio Balibago, Santa Rosa, Laguna on June 13,1928. My parents are Jose Arzala and Pilar Cuevas, both form Sta. Rosa. I am an orphan – my mother died when I was seven months while my father died in 1947.

I finished my primary education in the town’s public elementary school. Although my hometown is only some 40 kilometers away from Manila, I never set foot on the big city until 1945. This came when I decided to continue my studies but financial difficulties stepped in. instead, I began to look for a job.

Fortunately, I landed a caretaker’s job at the North Cemetery. My duties consisted of taking care of the cemetery grounds, collecting bills and guiding funerals to final resting places. To save time and effort, I bought a racer-bike for P130 from a certain Punzalan who had a bicycle shop on Espaňa Boulevard.

When I bought it, it was also with the idea of landing a courier’s job with the Voz de Manila. I succeeded. Thus, I quit my caretaker’s position. And after several months, I worked with The Manila Times, also as a courier.

That was in 1951 when I had just married Rosalina Dacanay of barrio San Jose, Quezon City. I was 22 then and she was 14. Our marriage has already produced nine children, six of them are living: Armando, 11 ½; Artemio, 10; the twins, Rosaura and Rosauro, 6; Jose (named in memory of my father) 4; and Junior, eight months.

My initial crack at cycling took me in such company as Leonardo Abdon, Sixto Bola, Pompeyo Dingding, well-known standouts. I consistently beat them in races and soon , in Manila I became known. The purses then were bicycle tires and spare parts.

Then came 1955, I heard of the Manila to Vigan bicycle race. It was held in connection with the Tobacco Festival in that year. I won first place and the top prize of P1,000.

I particularly remember that four lap (stage) race. The rules were different, contrast to the rules now. At that time, the rules stated that a lap winner could go ahead of the other cyclists instead of starting with them. When James Herman won the first lap to Tarlac, Tarlac in four hours and 36 minutes, his time advantage over Edgardo Lopez, the runner-up, was 25 minutes; over third-placer Sixto Bola, 34 minutes and in my case, Herman was ahead by 34 minutes and seven seconds. The next morning, Herman was the first to go ahead. Lopez followed after 25 minutes were up. Bola followed after nine minutes and so on. This rule was tough since it allowed no one, particularly the lap winner, to coast along.

The following year saw the birth of the Tour of Luzon. I won the top prize of P3,000.

I lost my title in 1957. My heartbreak occurred in Tagaytay City when I broke the fork of my bike, toppling me over. I received bruises and contusions on the arms and legs and this accident forced me out of the race in the first lap for good. My detractors considered me already as a has-been.

I redeemed myself in 1958 when I placed fourth and last year , won the Tour for the second time.

In all, I’ve won more than P14,000 in prize money in cycling. I bought a piece of land and left some more for my family, I won P4,525 – my biggest purse yet – in regaining the Tour of Luzon title last year.

No, I do not have an “anting-anting” (amulet). This is contrary to reports circulated by my sympathizers that I have one which accounts for my cycling achievements. If I did have, I wouldn’t have somersaulted in 1957, the only Tour where I was forced to quit.

I consider Sumalde, Abaquita, de Guzman, Moring Jr. and some Pangasinan and Visayan men that would crowd me for honors this year. During the Tour, I prefer the rain because it refreshes me. The slippery roads pose no handicaps. Mountain-climbing or flat source makes no difference.

The Tour has brought me fame and money and certainly it is the most wonderful thing that happened to me in 32 years.

It has not swelled my head a bit. An incident which oftentimes occur during my courier duties is always fresh; when I’m cycling, children would shout “Arzala! There’s Arzala!” I feel complimented and smile at them. Then from the same children came the taunt: “He thinks he’s Arzala!”

RUFINO GABOT

“I expected to be in the top 10 – barring bad luck ”

There were times I told my mother she might have been wrong as to the September day in 1935 when I was born. You see I was born at about midnight in barrio Calaoag, Manaog, Pangasinan. But my mother, Regina Nerona, said September 4. So that made it official.

My father, Santos Gabot, was proud because I was the first child. Four more came after me but unfortunately one of them died. Childhood for me was the usual life in a farm. Helping in the household chores, pounding rice, hunting birds in the ricefield with a sling and plenty of wide open space to roam around.

My highest educational attainment is that of a high school graduate, class ’54 Manaoag High School. I was an athlete and my specialty was in field events like the pole vault and running high jump. One time, I won first place in the pole vault during a meet. I was a junior student then. My academic grades were average.

After graduation, I did not continue further studies. The reason was I chose instead to train after I heard of the 1955 Manila-to-Vigan race. I was already an outstanding cyclist in our place, going as far as Lingayen to compete. I won often. There were big bets ranging as high as P150 for the outcome of speed races – 100 meters to 2 kms.

My hometown is noted for numerous cycling greats. For instance, Virgilio Delin and Conversion Tolentino were a great help in repulsing the Sino team in the first Philippine-Nationalist China cycling meet. The others are Remigio Manzano Jr., Elpidio Camat, Ignacio Jacinto and Armando Talaro.

So in 1956, I was one of the 95 starters that answered the starter’s gun at the Luneta for the first 1956 Tour of Luzon. Although I did not win any of the five laps, my consistency in being always with the leaders enabled me to grab runner-up honors behind Arzala. I was lucky that I never suffered a punctured tire or mechanical defect. For my second place performance, I won P2,000.

The interval before the next Tour of Luzon brought a marked change of my life. That was the time when I met 17-year-old Carmen Lopez, of barrio Pao, Manaoag. It came about when I saw her sing and win the first prize if the amateur contest during their barrio fiesta. I did not know her personally but I took courage in congratulating her while she was with a group enroute home. She thanked me. At that time, I was a town hero because of my second place and she knew about this, I visited her for the first time after a few days. This was the first of a series of visits that finally led to a marriage proposal. She accepted. My parents made the arrangements and we were married on January 21,1957. now, we have two children – Richard, 2 and Ylangy, 6 months. The last named is a girl.

Three months after my marriage, I entered the 1957 Tour. My marriage brought me luck since I won the top prize of P3,000. in the six-day grind, I won the Iba-to-Dagupan lap (stage). I bested Cipriano Manuel by 32 seconds in an 11-man finish which saw a spill of overall leader Ang. The rains had made the streets so slippery. That lap (stage) was the roughest since the road we took was bumpy and stony.

The last lap (stage) to Manila favored Moring Jr. on the strength of his fifth-lap win at Baguio City. But a dirt strip in Tarlac was his breaking point as he punctured a tire there. Although I came in only fifth behind lap-winner Pedro Daynos, my overall time brought me the top purse.(But as it turned out, I invested it in the purchase of an AC jeepney which I personally drove to earn my daily living. I sold it last year when it prevented me from continuous practice in my cycling.)

I was not so fortunate in 1958 when I again competed. I only wound up in seventh spot. But a fellow Pangasinense Mamerto Eden of Mapandan upheld my province’s colors by winning it. My performance was sloppy. The fast pace by Eden in the first lap where I placed only fourth was a preview of the laps to come. After four laps, I slid down to 13th but recovered in the remaining laps to bag seventh place and P300. Our team also won the P1,000 top prize and I also got my share. That Tour is particularly significant for it marked the death at Naguilian of Bicol’s Pablo Ramos, the only casualty in the Tour history.

Came 1959, despite my high resolve, I just couldn’t get going in the Tour and finally an “incident” at Talavera, Nueva Ecija, forced me to quit. It was also my distressing experience with the multiple-gear bike. This caused me many delays because the chain kept jumping off its place. (Not now though.)

I’m presently working with the Sonnet Bicycle Manufacturing Company. I’m in the assembly plant. My training program this year is two-times-a-week lap from Manaoag to Baguio City via Kennon Road and back to my town the same day. For food, I prefer medium-rare fried beef and plenty of soft-boiled eggs. I expect to be in the top 10. That is, if I don’t have many bad breaks – spills, punctured tires, breaking the fork.

MAMERTO EDEN

“I learned cycling the hard way – with many a spill”

As an all-around athlete during my high school days, I never dreamed I would participate in a cycling event. Much less, win a major one (it did happen in the 1958 Tour of Luzon).

I remember the bruises I suffered from spills, the natural consequence and painful way before one learns how to bike. There was one instance when I badly damaged the front wheel of a borrowed bike because I slammed it against a concrete wall after losing control. It was a costly lesson setting me back P3 for the repair. But that is going far ahead of the story of my life….

On the early morning of June 4,1923, a baby boy was born to Lorenza Cariňo-Eden, wife of farmer Catalino Eden both of Mapaldan, Pangasinan. I was that boy.

After graduating from Mapandan Elementary School, I went to Lingayen to study in the provincial high school. At the outbreak of the Second World War, I was in second year.

For a time in 1945, I worked with the 629th Ordnance ammunition depot as a painter and carpenter. My friends used to joke about the difficulty of identifying my remains in the event that the depot exploded. I was not afraid. The most important thing was that I had a job.

I resumed my studies at Mangaldan High in 2946 and graduated two years later. My athletic ability enabled me to win valuable points during the district and provincial meets. In one instance, I copped the century and the 200-meter dashes. On an athletic scholarship, I took up college engineering at Dagupan Colleges in 1950.

I had so many friends among the opposite sex but of them all, the one I kept my eye on was a 15-year-old lass, Dominga Penuliar, of my hometown. My intention was to let her finish high school an later ask for her hand. But a development arose when two rivals pressed their quest hard.

Not to be outdone, I immediately told my parents of my decision to marry though in truth I had never written the girl a love letter. In Tagalog, they term it “ligaw-tingin”. When her parents were about to give their decision, I thought of serenading. Through a song adapted to “Schubert Serenade” but in Pangasinense lyrics which I composed, I told her of my love. That did it. She accepted me. And we got married on December 18,1949. We now have five children: Eustaquio, 9; Shirley, 8; Junior, 5; Eufemia, 4; and Meldy, 2. We expect the arrival of another child next month.

In 1952, I quit my studies and went to Manila to take up silk screen and sign studies under some local outdoor advertising agencies. After six months, I went back to my hometown and opened a painting shop. My life for four years remained that way until I heard of the Tour of Luzon with top purses at stake.

Competing for the first time in 1957, I was in the top ten after two laps. But in the third lap. I met an accident which landed me in the Olongapo hospital for three days. While going downhill, I felt drowsy. I managed to fight off the drowsiness but it was too late to apply the brakes when a sharp curve loomed ahead. I fell into a 20-foot-deep ravine. I suffered bruises on the hips and the extreme pain forced me to give up.

The next year (1958), I won the Tour and the top prize of P3,000. And last year, I copped runner-up honors behind Arzala. Most of my winnings in cycling, about P7,000, have been invested in some rice fields and the expansion of my painting shop to include tailoring and bike-repairing. I also have my own machine made from bicycle parts to carve wooden chess sets (Like most Pangasinenses I also play the game).

[edit] THE COMPLETE LIST OF TOUR CHAMPIONS 1955 ~ 2006

Regarding the history of Philippine cycling, the story can be traced even before the war as there were cycling events already and in fact, we almost sent a cyclists to the 1936 Berlin Olympics....

Weekend races, oval races held at the former Nichol Airbase (known then as Wallace Air Base) as well one day races during fiestas ..

The more famous pre-war cycling race was the Baguio to Manila race in1936. This was mentioned in passing in the newspaper articles I have read but I have not yet chanced upon a news article that reported the events result..This is due to scarcity of newspaper materials that survived the WWII (especially those available at the National Library)

THE TOUR : 1955 -2006

1955 MANILA TO VIGAN BICYCLE RACE April 28 -May 1,1955 4 Laps - 418 kms. Antonio Arzala

1956 TOUR OF LUZON May 23-27,1956 5 Laps - 1,057 Kms. Antonio Arzala - 33:45:08

1957 TOUR OF LUZON May 28-June 7,1957 6 Laps - 1,155 Kms. Rufino Gabot - 51:45:22

1958 TOUR OF LUZON April 14-20,1958 7 Laps - 1,517 Kms. Mamerto Eden - 61:14:08

1959 TOUR OF LUZON April 12-19,1959 8 Laps - 1,634 Kms. Antonio Arzala - 59:44:50

1960 TOUR OF LUZON May 14-22,1960 9 Laps - 1,648 Kms. Rodrigo Abaquita - 57:51:02

1961 TOUR OF LUZON April 25-May 7,1961 12 Laps - 2,167 Kms. Jose Moring Jr. - 59:44:50

1962 TOUR OF LUZON March 26-April 8,1962 12 Laps - 1,870.23 Kms.Edmundo de Guzman - 61:04:50

1963 TOUR OF LUZON April 21-May 5,1963 14 Laps - 2,334.38 Kms. Gonzalo Recodos - 78:27:54

1964 TOUR OF LUZON April 19 - May 3,1964 14 Laps - 1,967.60 Kms. Jose Sumalde - 60:22:09

1965 TOUR OF LUZON April 25 - May 9,1965 14 Laps - 2,049.31 Kms. Jose Sumalde - 65:13:19

1966 TOUR OF LUZON April 23-May 8,1966 15 Laps - 1,999.82 Kms. Cornelio Padilla Jr. - 60:45:31

1967 TOUR OF LUZON April 12-19,1967 8 Laps - 1,634 Kms. Cornelio Padilla Jr. - 70:34:57

No tour held in 1968

1969 TOUR NG FILIPINAS April 18-27,1969 10 Laps - 1,208.40 Kms. Domingo Quilban - 37:50:29

No Tours held in 1970,1971, 1972

1973 TOUR OF LUZON May 11- 20,1973 10 Laps - 1,214 Kms. Jesus Garcia Jr. - 34:38:38

1974 TOUR OF LUZON - VISAYAS April 23 - May 12,1974 18 Laps - 2,540.95 Kms. Teodorico Rimarim - 78:35:19

1975 TOUR OF LUZON April 19 - May 4,1975 15 Laps - 2,207.87 Kms. Samson Etrata - 66:18:48.6

1976 TOUR OF LUZON April 21 - May 9,1976 6 Laps - 2,200 Kms. Modesto Bonzo - 66:31:10.4

1977 TOUR NG PILIPINAS May 2 - June 5,1977 24 Laps - 4,000 Kms. Manuel Reynante - 106:57:20.1

MARLBORO TOUR OF MINDANAO-VISAYAS-LUZON 1977 June 7-26,1977 3 Laps, 3 Stages - 1,697 Kms. Jesus Garcia - 55:37:52.8

Staged by the late Geruncio Lacuesta, acknowledged Father of Philippine Bikathoning, after a split among the cyclists and the formation of the Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines with Matias Defensor as president. Garcia won the Mindanao stage, Casta the Visayas Stage and Gorospe the Luzon Stage. It was Lacuesta's last Tour as the PCAP took over center stage two years later in 1979.

1978 - No regular Tour held. Instead the PERK Speed Tour was run Feb. 9-12 over four laps aimed at producing the first Cyclist(s) to achieve an average 40 KPH. Starting in Manila and winding up in Olongapo City, the speed test measured 405.8 kms. Rumin Salamante won the event in 10 hrs. 11 mins.10 secs.

1978 PERK SPEED TOUR February 9 - 12,1978 4 Laps - 405.8 Kms. Rumin Salamante - 10:11:10

MARLBORO TOUR 1979 April 18 - 30,1979 11 Laps 1,900 Kms Paquito Rivas - 60:01:06.4

TOUR OF THE PHILIPPINES 1980 April 15 - May 11,1980 21 Laps - 2,780.83 Kms Manuel Reynante - 83:08:00.84

TOUR OF THE PHILIPPINES 1981 March 17- April 12 ,1981 21 Laps - 3,058.81 Kms Jacinto Sicam - 87:25:43.99

MARLBORO TOUR 1982 April 22-May 9 ,1982 15 Laps - 2,192.27.81 Kms Jacinto Sicam - 61:29:17.57

MARLBORO TOUR 1983 April 16 - May 1 ,1983 14 Laps - 2,313.11 Kms Romeo Bonzo - 63:54:31.94

MARLBORO TOUR 1984 May 26 - June 10 ,1984 14 Laps - 2,464.27.45 Kms Ruben Carino - 68:08:49.46

MARLBORO TOUR 1985 April 18 - May 12 ,1985 21 Laps - 3,668.97 Kms Pepito Calip - 97:04:42.04

MARLBORO TOUR 1986 April 26 - May 11 ,1986 10 Laps - 2,900.77 Kms Rolando Pagnanawon - 77:39:53.14

MARLBORO TOUR 1987 May 21 - June 7,1987 17 Laps - 3,282 Kms Reynaldo Dequito - 88:06:50.88

MARLBORO TOUR 1988 April 28 - May 15,1988 17 Laps - 3,544.53 Kms Armando Catalan - 94:44:03.92

MARLBORO TOUR 1989 April 26 - May 14,1989 18 Laps - 3,539.47 Kms Gerardo Igos - 95:40:23.79

MARLBORO TOUR 1990 April 18 - May 6,1990 18 Laps - 3,317.42 Kms Manuel Buenaventura - 95:58:38.80

MARLBORO TOUR 1991 April 25 - May 12,1991 17 Laps - 2,373.61 Kms Bernardo Llentada - 63:33:17.73

MARLBORO TOUR 1992 May 21 - June 7,1992 17 Laps - 2,731.38 Kms Renato Dolosa - 71:21:49.2

MARLBORO TOUR 1993 April 17 - May 9,1993 21 Laps - 3,480 Kms Carlo Guieb - 91:41:54.62

MARLBORO TOUR 1994 April 17 - May 9,1994 20 Stages - 3,563 Kms Carlo Guieb - 91:24:13.33

MARLBORO TOUR 1995 March 18 - April 8,1995 19 Stages - 3,280.33 Kms Renato Dolosa - 83:43:39.54

MARLBORO TOUR 1996 April 14 - May 5, 1996 19 Stages - 3,257.29 Kms Victor Espiritu - 80:50:46.24

MARLBORO TOUR 1997 April 16 - May 4,1997 16 Stages - 2,472 Kms Wong Kam Po - 62:06:28

MARLBORO TOUR 1998 April 15 - May 3,1998 16 Stages - 2,494 Kms Warren Davadilla - 64:58:57

No Tours held in 1999,2000,2001

FedEx TOUR OF CALABARZON 2002 May 30 - June 2,2002 4 Stages - 517.7 Kms Santy Barnachea 12:41:13

Air21 TOUR PILIPINAS 2003 April 16 - May 11,2003 15 Stages - 2,849.8 Kms Arnel Quirmit 55:29:20.63

Air21 TOUR PILIPINAS 2004 April 15 - May 2,2004 17 Stages - 2,849.8 Kms Rhyan Tanguilig 70:28:59

GOLDEN TOUR 50@05 May 26 - June 5,2005 10 Stages - 1,492 Kms Warren Davadilla 37:20:55

2006 PADYAK PINOY TOUR PILIPINAS May 12 - 18, 2006 8 Stages - 1,219.4 Kms Santy Barnachea 31:10:03

2007 ...