Daily Tribune
MARK Bonzo of the Philippines (second from right) winds up 11th out of 14 entries in the Asian Track Cycling Championships on Thursday in Tagaytay City.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PHILCYCLING
TAGAYTAY CITY — Two Filipino cyclists made an impact on the second day of the Asian Track Cycling Championships on Thursday at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome.
Mark Bonzo was able to dispatch three cyclists in the men’s elite elimination final before settling for 11th out of 14 finalists.
Despite missing the podium, the 36-year-old cyclist from Pangasinan felt invigorated after competing in track cycling since 2012.
“It was really tough out there. The race was very hard, but we didn’t give up. Hopefully, in the next race, we can do even better,” Bonzo said.
Unlike in usual races where the fastest time wins, cyclists need to avoid placing last in the pack or risk getting eliminated after every two laps.
Asian Games gold medalist Eiya Hashimoto of Japan was the last-man standing to clinch the gold medal.
Wu Junjie of China and Nikita Tsvetkov of Uzbekistan settled for silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the women’s elimination, Angeline Elvira also finished in 11th place in the final.
Elvira, 20, admitted she still has a lot to learn after competing in track cycling for the first time.
“You really have to stay focused and be aware of your teammates. Unfortunately, I got stuck in the middle.”
“Yes, I was nervous, but I stayed focused.”
Lee Sze Wing of Hong Kong emerged as the winner, besting 12 other pedal-pushers.
Chen Ning of China settled for a silver while Japanese cyclist Misaki Okamoto plucked the bronze medal.
Action continues on Friday, the third day of the tournament starting at 9 a.m.
Meanwhile, the International Cycling Union (UCI) certified the Tagaytay CT Velodrome as a Category A facility.
“We are now officially a UCI track destination,” said PhilCycling president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
“With a Category A homologation, we can now host world cups and even the world championships.”
The homologation certificate — signed by UCI Track and Indoor Cycling Manager Jessika Grand Bois — came a day before Wednesday’s opening of the 16-nation, 600-athlete championships that the country is hosting for the first time in 31 years.
