Cayubit rules Visayas qualifier

BACOLOD CITY — 7-Eleven’s Ryan Cayubit never won a single lap in the three-day Ronda Pilipinas Visayas qualifiers, but his consistency was enough for him to secure the overall crown yesterday.

Cayubit settled for a fifth place finish in the race that ended at the Provincial Capitol here after a mass finish that saw another second-generation cyclist emerging as the third lap winner of the first qualifier of the championship round.

Team LBC’s Mark Bonzo beat Dominic Perez and Kenneth Solis by a halflength to win the 123.2-kilometer Bacolod-Cadiz-Bacolod lap.

The son of the late Romeo Bonzo, the winner of the 1983 Marlboro Tour, clocked three hours, seven minutes and 17 seconds, with Perez, Solis, Lord Anthony del Rosario and Cayubit posting identical times.

Bonzo rode in the peloton for most of the race before taking advantage of the opportunity near the finish like a predator waiting on his prey to become the second son of a former Marlboro Tour champion to win a stage in the Visayas qualifiers.

The first rider to earn that distinction was Jaybop Pagnanawon, whose father Rolando won the 1986 Tour. The young Pagnanawon took the Dumaguete-Sipalay first stage.

Pagnanawon, however, failed to retain the red jersey, as Cayubit seized the lead after placing second in Thursday’s Stage 2 on his way to securing the overall title yesterday.

Cayubit, the 25-year-old pedal-pusher from Caloocan, tallied 12 hours, 37 minutes and one second to earn the top purse of 50,000 and one of the 40 slots for the championship round set Feb. 22 to 27 from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Baguio City.

“Siyempre masaya ako kasi ito yung unang-una kong overall. Magandang preparation ito papuntang national,” said Cayubit, who also won the sprint king title with 41 points.

Felipe came in second with a gap of three minutes and six seconds to earn

35,000 and the King of the Mountain title, while Rey Martin of Nueva Ecija was third, 5:34 behind Cayubit.