PH riders dreaming of gold in Uzbekistan

CHORVOQ, Uzbekistan—Seven Filipino riders led by up-and-coming Daniel Ven Carino will vie in the 2019 Asian Road Cycling Championships in Uzbekistan.

Carino, 21, and the Best Young Rider of the 2018 Le Tour de Filipinas from Mangaldan, Pangasinan, is competing in his first of two events—the 40-kilometer Men Under-23 individual time trial (ITT) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. in Manila).

Earlier on Wednesday at 1 p.m., 18-year-old Marc Ryan Lago, of Taguig City, starts his own challenge in the 30-km Men Junior ITT, hoping to kick off the campaign of the PH team sent here.

Coached by Ednalyn Hualda, also the team manager of continental team Go For Gold, the Men Junior squad of Lago, Efren Reyes Jr. (18) and Ean Cajucom (17) will campaign in the 105.6-km individual road race that starts and ends at Gazalkent—each setting a goal of duplicating or surpassing the silver medal finish Rex Luis Krogg accomplished in the 2018 championships in Myanmar and the bronze Rustom Lim bagged in Thailand in 2011.

Carino will again head the Under-23 squad in the individual road race that covers 148.40 km also in an out-and-back course in Gazalkent with the Filipino riders contending not only against crack teams from Asia but also against the mountain courses and cold and biting temperature that breaks 14 degrees Centigrade at its lowest.