INQUIRER Sports

ANOTHER TIGHT RACE LOOMS as the third leg of the Road Bike Philippines-711 Manila Criterium Grand Prix gets going Sunday on Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Veteran riders Victor Espiritu and Lloyd Lucien Reynante, together with John Paul Morales and Nilo Estayo, the two riders who topped the competition?s last two stages, banner a tough field in the elite open race.

The bikefest will start and finish on T.M. Kalaw Avenue in Manila.

Reynante and Espiritu were part of the RP-711 squad that placed eighth in the recent Speedy Tour d? Indonesia.

Espiritu, a former local Tour champion, wound up 11th overall in the individual standings.

The race is dubbed as the ?Lucio Cochanco Sr. Memorial Race? in honor of the late cycling fan.

Events director Ric Rodriguez said the races have drawn bigger entries in each leg since it kicked off in October.