By Jerome Lagunzad
Former titleholder Mark Galedo is bracing himself not only for the possible foreign invasion but also for an expected intense battle with his fellow Pinoy hopefuls in the 9th Le Tour de Filipinas which hits the roads from May 20 to 23.
Looking fit than he’s ever been, Galedo, 32, expressed his desire to reclaim the coveted title he won in 2014 as he leads the ambitious bid of continental team 7-Eleven RoadBike Philippines in the 16-team field made tougher by the presence of 10 foreign squads from Asia and Australia.
Aside from that, Galedo and his touted teammates – Rustom Lim, Marcelo Felipe, and Daniel Cariño – are also expected to face some stiff competition from five other local teams led by powerhouse Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme PH, Go for Gold and CCN Superteam and the Philippine national team.
“Makikita talaga natin dun kung sino ang pinakamalakas na local team,” said the Quezon City-raised rider, who opted not to suit up for 7-Eleven RoadBike in their third place finish among Asian teams in the recent Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia.
But that doesn’t mean Galedo will stand in the way if ever a fellow Filipino has a clear path for the prestigious crown in the only local race sanctioned by the Union Cycliste International, the sport’s world governing body.
“Pero hindi naman ‘to laban sa kapwa Pilipino. Basta sports lang. Siyempre andun rin ‘yung tulungan lalo kung kinakailangan ng kapwa nating Pilipino na makuha ‘yung liderato,” he said.
“Pero kung may chance tayo na umagaw, siyempre laban pa rin ‘to, gagawin lang natin ‘yung inatas na trabaho sa atin.
Basta laban lang sa karera pero pagtapos naman nu’n, magkakaibigan pa rin tayo.”
