MOUNTAIN specialist Baler Ravina (in green jersey, main picture) negotiates the last of three “King of the Mountain” summits with Joel Calderon, who topped the final stage (left) that ended in Baguio City. August dela Cruz
BAGUIO CITY—Three weeks ago, Baler Ravina surveyed the serpentine roads that run through the Sierra Madre and Cordillera mountain ranges, checking out every crucial obstruction that could prevent him from finishing the stage.
Yesterday, the pride of Asingan, Pangasinan, conquered the treacherous route and became the first Filipino champion of a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) multistage race.
Ravina of Go21 formed an alliance with Joel Calderon of Mail & More in the most punishing stretch of the 133.8-kilometer ride from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, to rule the 2012 Le Tour de Filipinas presented by Air21 that ended in the country’s summer capital.
