INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Anxious to prove that his recent splendid feat was no fluke, Mark Guevarra will have an avenue to start defense of his Tour of Luzon championship next year.

Guevarra will spearhead a cast of 200 riders when the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association unveils in Pasay City Saturday a series of qualifying races for the 2010 edition of the summer spectacle on wheels.

Arnel Ty, president of LPGMA, said the 80-kilometer massed-start circuit race on Macapagal Highway is the first of four qualifying races that will determine the 100 cyclists seeing action in the Tour slated in April next year.

Ty said they will not give preferential treatment to anyone and that Guevarra and the rest of the cyclists seeking slots in the 15-day multi-stage bikathon will also have to compete in the succeeding races in Tagaytay City in August, Sierra Madre in October and along Macapagal Highway in December.

The Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines, headed by Paquito Rivas and Caloy Gredonia, will again lend its technical expertise to the organizers.

“We are holding these qualifying races to form the teams early and assure quality competition in next year’s Tour,” said Ty.

The country’s top LPG distributor will also hold executive races for beginners and those classified to race in categories A and B (massed start and team time trials) today, apart from the regular elite and junior competitions.

The LPGMA has also committed to train four riders for possible stints in next year’s Tour de France as part of the Liquigaz team.

Ty said cyclists Jeffrey Monton, Jackie Lloyd Berjamie, Nico Barreto and Michael Ochoa will be tested in three local races to be organized by LPGMA within the year. The top three riders will then be sent to Italy to join the Liquigas training camp in January.