Iran conquers victory in Le Tour de Filipinas 2011

April 19, 2011
By: Lalissa Singson / UBE Media
Photos by: Heinz Orais and Jhunelle Sardido / UBE Media
 
 

Baguio City, Philippines – The final leg of Le Tour de Filipinas 2011 tested the endurance of cyclists by trail blazing on the tricky Kennon Road of Baguio City in Benguet.
 
Rider number 64 wearing the Yellow Jersey Rahim Emami of Azad University came first in the finish line with the time three hours nine minutes and 53 seconds followed by his teammates Farshad Salehiam (3:10:22) and Amir Zargari (3:10:25), second and third, respectively.
 
Stage One winner Emami along with his teammate Zargari claimed that Stage 4 was one of their best climbs. “The course was good for us”, says Zargari whose team did not experience any flat tires or delays.
 
A twisted fate
The Iranian trio success was beyond the expectation of many. The four-men breakaway team composed of Filipinos Sherwin Carrera (7-Eleven), Mark John Laxer G. Galedo (7-Eleven), Tomas Martinez (Smart), and Joseph Millanes (American Vinyl) thrilled the fans and followers who hoped high for their fellow country men.
 
Their lead during the initial stretch was taken over upon entering the King of the Mountain challenge. The challenge twisted the scenario and gave way for Azad University riders to work at their advantage.
 

Conquering high altitude
Azad University Coach Hossin Kohi Gholam said that his team is used on cycling at high altitude because their home country is endowed with mountain ranges perfect for the King of the Mountain challenge training.
 
Azad University is set for another tour in Iran 20 days from now.
 
Uncomfortable situation
Despite success, Coach Kohi pointed out the difficulty on road traffic that participants faced during the race. He suggests for a traffic common measure that the organizers shall improve on.
 
Meanwhile, LTdF 2011 Overall Chairman Bert Lina says that the tour is still in the developmental stage and hopes to formalize criterion on road closing among race routes.
 
Propagating Philippine cycling
Chairman Bert Lina is happy on the success of Le Tour de Filipinas 2011.
 
“It is a compact tournament. The Filipino were able to see how foreign competitors perform and that would be the basis of improving cycling”, he says.
 
Chairman Lina also reports that “the cycling movement is getting active”. Having LTdF 2011 as the only Union Cycliste Internationale sanctioned tournament in the Philippines, his goal is to come up with a year-long program to develop cyclists and prepare them for a larger UCI-sanctioned competition.

 
Winning the crown
Azad University wins overall champion with a total time of 9:30:40 running with a total distance of 506.90 kilometers. Second on the line is 7-Eleven and third is Smart, both from the Philippines.
 
Azad University's Rahim Emami won first place at Stage One in Manila. Japanese contender from Bridgestone Anchor Kazuo Inoue won in Stage Two offering his success to fellow Japanese people who were hit by the recent tsunami. Stage Three winner Mirsamad Pourseyedi Golakhour, also of Azad University, won amid the scorching heat.
 
Twenty-one-year old Nicolas Edmundo of American Vinyl consistently won the White Jersey Award.
 
Touring the West of North
Le Tour de Filipinas 2011 participants started the competition at the Manila Bay, one of the Philippines' window to the rest of the world. From Manila, teams sailed with a ferry going to Bataan where a cultural show welcomed the tour. Second day destination was Zambales which also features the seas where ships used for logistics purposes pass by. On day three, LTdF reached Pangasinan, a province which prides itself with fresh fish products. Fourth day brought the cyclists to the high slope of Baguio City where the ultimate test among cyclists unfolded.
 
 
Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. together with his people warmly accepted LTdF in their province. A welcoming party showcased the talent of Pangasinenses. Their send off program wished the team good luck and another LTdF year with them.
 
Meanwhile, Organizing Committee Chairman Gary Cayton saluted Pangasinan as “Pangasinan is the cradle of cycling in the Philippines” because the province produced a handful of good cyclists including 12 LTdF 2011 participants.
 
 
Le Tour de FIlipinas (LTdF) 2011 is organized by the Dynamic Outsource Solutions-1 (DOS 1) headed by Organizing Committee Chairman Gary Cayton and Overall Chairman Bert Lina. LTdF is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale and Philippine Cycling Federation.
 
LTdF 2011 is presented by Kia Motors, in partnership with Smart and Air21; also sponsored by Wow! Videoke, American Vinyl, Phoenix, Cannondale Mavic, Roadbike Philippines, 7-Eleven, Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI), Shopinas.com, and SignMedia.
 
LTdF 2011's "Save the Seas" advocacy is also sponsored by Maynilad.
 
Official media partners are UBE Media, TV5, DZXL 558 Manila, and Living Asia Channel.
 
Follow Le Tour de Filipinas on Facebook and LTdFOfficial on Twitter for more updates.