MARK Galedo
Riding in the same race with the world’s best has definitely built the confidence of Mark John Lexer Galedo.
The foxy cyclist from 7-Eleven Sava-Road Bike Philippines will bring that spunk against a sturdy field of riders from Asia in the 8th Le Tour de Filipinas.
Galedo and 7-Eleven-RBP, the country’s only continental cycling squad, recently raced against Tour de France champion Chris Froome and his comrades from the famed Team Sky in the five-day 2017 Herald Sun Tour, Australia’s oldest multistage bikathon.
“Competing at that level certainly gives you confidence,” said Galedo in Filipino, the last Filipino to win the Le Tour de Filipinas back in 2014.
He’ll be seeking to repeat the act in the four-day race beginning Saturday in Legazpi City and end the reign of foreign riders who ruled the 2.2 Union Cycliste Internationale event, the kick-off race of this year’s Asia Tour.
“No rider has won the Le Tour twice, so I guess that will be my motivation,” said Galedo, a three-time local cycling Tour champion.
Backing Galedo are teammates Rustom Lim, Arjay Peralta, Spanish Edgar Nieto and Australian Craig Evers.
They’ll be racing for the individual and team general classification titles with the Philippine cycling team bannered by George Oconer, John Renee Mier, Jerry Aquino Jr. and Boots Ryan Cayubit.
The other foreign continental teams include Kinan Cycling Team (Japan), Team Ukyo (Japan), Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team (Japan), Oliver’s Real Food Racing (Australia), LX Pro Cycling Team (South Korea), and the national teams of Uzbekistan and United Arab Emirates.