INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines — The 2010 Padyak Pinoy Tour of the Philippines, which will pit the country’s top cyclists against a slew of formidable foreign riders, has been included in the racing calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale, marking the first time in 12 years that a race in the Philippines is sanctioned by the world federation.

Dynamic Source Solutions Inc. which is organizing the Padyak Pinoy, secured the approval from UCI president Pat McQuaid for the April 17-20 race, which will be called Le Tour de Filipinas.

Padyak chair and Dos-1 president Gary Cayton described the approval of the event as a “major breakthrough” for Philippine cycling.

“This development finally brings our country back in the world cycling map,” he said.

At least five foreign teams are expected to compete in the Le Tour de Filipinas.

The last time the UCI sanctioned and calendared a local multistage race on the Asian Continental Circuit was in 1998, when the local tour was then known as the Marlboro Tour.

The four-stage Tour of the Philippines will start on Apr. 17 with the Tagaytay-Tagaytay massed-start race, followed by a team time trial competition on Roxas Boulevard and the Diosdado Macapagal Avenue in Manila.

Stage three, also a massed-start, will be fired off in Quezon City and end in Subic (via the NLEX and SCTEX), while the final stage will be an out-and-back competition at the Subic Bay Freeport.

“It shows the trust and confidence that Filipino cyclists, particularly past Tour champions, have impressed on the world governing body for the sport,” said Bert Lina, chair emeritus of the UCI-recognized PhilCycling headed by Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino. Cedelf P. Tupas