21-day LuzViMin Odyssey for Padyak Pinoy 2010

Posted July 27th, 2009
 
By Business Mirror Online Thursday, 21 May 2009 19:45
 
THE Padyak Pinoy goes 18 stages spread over 21 days in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao in 2010.
 
This was jointly announced yesterday by Air21 chairman Bert Lina and Smart-PLDT head Manny Pangilinan during a courtesy visit by Padyak Pinoy 2009 Tour of Champions individual titlist Joel Calderon and his Smart Buddy teammates at the PLDT offices in Makati City.
 
“We are going nationwide to make the Padyak Pinoy truly the ‘Tour’ of the Philippines,” said Lina, currently the chairman emeritus of the UCI-recognized PhilCycling.
 
It was Lina who revived the Tour in 2002 after a four-year absence. Philip Morris, through Marlboro, sponsored the multi-stage cycling race until 1998 when global antitobacco regulations on advertising were enforced.
 
Pangilinan’s newfound passion for cycling has resulted to his generous support to cycling.
 
“When I was a kid, I was animated by the Tour of Luzon,” said Pangilinan, the acknowledged godfather of Philippine sports who also supports basketball, boxing, badminton and taekwondo, among others.
 
“And I believe cycling is one sport that is best for Filipinos. We don’t need six-footers here,” he said, adding, “and for as long as Bert Lina’s group is with cycling, I am assured of the sport’s development.”
 
A long-term goal of Pangilinan is for him to see a Philippine team competing in the tour of all tours, the Tour de France. “I hope that soon, we will have Filipino cyclists competing in the prestigious Tour de France,” he said.
 
Tanduay, the Padyak Pinoy presentor for the past three stagings, is also expected to throw its full support to the nationwide tour, according to Lina.
Gary Cayton, head of the tour organizer Dynamic Outsource Solutions Inc., has set next year’s tour from April 5 to 26.
 
“We have initially set a theme of ’21 days, 21 teams in 2010,’” said Cayton, who hinted of the possibility of inviting foreign squads for next year’s staging.
 
Pangilinan, meanwhile, presented a brand-new Trek road bike worth P100,000 to Calderon, who borrowed his brother’s bike and repainted it to look brand new for his magical run in the Padyak Pinoy.
 
Calderon, a farmer who works part-time as a tricycle driver in his native Guimba in Nueva Ecija, along with teammates Julius Diaz, Joel Duenas, Michael Reyes and Jayson Garillo and coach Neil Barlis, also received cash incentives and brand-new Nokia mobile phones from Smart Buddy senior manager Lloyd Dennis Manoloto.
 
Also present during yesterday’s courtesy visit were PLDT senior vice president Ricky Vargas and Smart Sports head Patrick Gregorio.
 
SOURCE: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/sports/10659-21-day-luzvimin-odyss...