EARLY FAVORITES WIN
Prado, Bonilla, Altamirano shine in nat’l road cycling championships
JERMYN PRADO, Kim Bonilla, and Angelica Mae Altamarino were unbeatable in the women’s races and Nichol Pareja was dominating in the men’s competitions in Tuesday’s individual time trial (ITT) of the PhilCycling National Championships for Road 2024 in Tuy and Nasugbu in Batangas.
The trio – who train as a mini-team – won their second gold medal in the championships presented by Standard Insurance and MVP Sports Foundation and organized by PhilCycling and calendared by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
“We really trained and prepared hard for these championships,” said Prado, whose proteges Bonilla and Altamarino are living up to the former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist’s standards.
Prado won in 43 minutes and 40.64 seconds in the process slashing the 19.91-km course’s women’s elite record by almost two minutes set in last December’s Philippine National Games.
Bonilla dominated the women’s junior competition over a 10.68-km course with a 26:43.60 clocking, while Altamarino also easily won the 14.34km women’s under-23 race with a 37:15.89 clocking.
All three also won the criterium races of the championships supported by Tagaytay City, Chooks-To-Go, Excellent Noodles, CCN, and Fitbar and backed by the local government units in Batangas and Cavite and PNP commands in Batangas and Cavite and the Bureau of Fire.
Pareja’s time of 44:24.93 was four minutes faster than the gold medal-winning time in the PNG last December over the 25.78-km course to reign supreme in the Men Elite race.
Also winning their second gold medals were Yvaine Osias and Jhay Karl Nunez in Youth 2 (under 14) – Osias clocked 13:45.53 in the 5.38-km race and Nunez ruled the same distance in 11:12.60.
Maria Louisse Alejado (women) clocked 23:12.60, and Jerick Cabael (men) was timed 18:49.30 to win the Youth 1 (under 14) race over a 5.38-km course while Samstill Mamites (men) lorded over the Youth 2 (14-16) competition over a 10.68-km distance. /
We really trained and prepared hard for these championships.
JERMYN PRADO