Benosa, Calla seize cycling plums

ALVIN Benosa showed he is a top medal prospect in the Southeast Asian Games this December with a convincing victory recently in the mountain bike cross-country finals of the 9th Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival at Barangay Patag in Ormoc City.

Benosa, an MTB specialist from Iriga City, timed two hours, 13 minutes and 41.7 seconds over the 25-kilometer course to beat national teammate Eusebio Quinones (2:16:21.5). Edwin Nacario Jr. of San Carlos, Negros Occidental, placed third (2:17:10).

Both riding for Groundzero/MT Probikes, Benosa and Quinones are gunning for podium finishes in the SEA Games in Burma (Myanmar) on Dec. 11 to 22 along with Nino Surban and March McQuinn Aleonar.

Roderic Calla of Vondutch/Bont capped a solid show with a Stage 4 win to rule the Tour de Larrazabal.

Calla, 36, nosed out Romeo Camingao of Excellent Noodles Team with a time of 1:10:33.2 at the end of the 90 km criterium finale held in Ormoc in  the annual bike festival organized by the Emeterio Larrazabal Foundation and backed by San Miguel Corp., Air21 and Rudy Project.

Marikina City’s Camingao finished 1.5 seconds behind and Stage 2 winner Ysmael Gendrano placed third in the lap, 1:15 back.

Calla compiled a total clocking of 6:40:25.2 for the Category B title while Camingao topped Category C (6:42:10.3) and Nonito Antigua of Albuera, Leyte, won Category A (6:44:10.5). Ramonito Espinosa of Cebu placed second in Category B.

Other MTB cross-country winners: Ceasar Lapaza of Team Cycleline (seniors), Reynante Gabor of Cycleline Extreme (masters), Marie Therese Cortes (women’s), Arjay Beato (youth); BMX supercross:  Eleazar Barba Jr. of Dumaguete City.