by Nick Giongco
LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippines finally caught up with the rest of the foreign contingent after Dominic Perez and former champion Mark Galedo finished second and third behind Stage 3 winner Samuel Hill of Australia on Sunday as the Le Tour de Filipinas enters the final two phases.
Hill of Team Nero Bianchi clocked four hours and 12 seconds in conquering the 183.7-kilometer lap that began in Daet, Camarines Norte.
Perez of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 51 seconds later (4:34.03) while Galedo, the 2014 champion of the event, was not far behind, arriving three seconds later (4:34.06).
Hill, a 23-year-old from Newcastle, was a part of a five-man lead pack that broke away early.
“To win today, I could not express it. It means so much,” said Hill, who described the pair of Filipino pursuers, Perez and Galedo, as “very strong.”
The major move by the Filipino riders and Hill’s surprise win, however, didn’t jumble the overall standings with Dutch first lap winner Jeiron Meijers maintaining his possession of the purple jersey, symbol of the overall leader, followed by Goh Choon Huat of Terengganu TSG Cycling and Angus Lyons of Oliver’s Real Food.
Host entry Felipe Marcelo of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 is at tenth spot overall, two minutes and 36 behind Meijers.
Perez, 24, thought he and Galedo, could ride-by-side with Hill but the rider from Down Under just sped away with ten kilometers left before the finish.
The last two stages will start and finish in the Albay capital with Stage 4 – 176 kilometers – proceeding well into Gubat, Sorsogon, before heading back to the heart of Albay via Daraga.
Stage 5 will be138.1 trek that will breeze through Donsol, Sorsogon, before making its return trip here via Ligao, Guinobatan and Camalig.
This tenth edition of the Le Tour is sanctioned by the UCI.
