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Thursday, March 28, 2024

8th Le Tour de Filipinas: Whitehouse lead dwindles

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BAGASBAS Beach, Daet, Camarines Norte—Sprint specialists from many teams made a big push in Stage 3 of the Le Tour de Filipinas 2017.

And the forested and famous 7-kilometer winding road called “Bitukang Manok” inside the Bicol National Park in Basud, Camarines became their battleground.

The big 177.35-km chase along flat roads to the Daet finish line from Naga City decided the fate of yellow jersey holder Daniel Whitehose, two Filipino riders and second stage champion Sean Whitfield.

Spanish bet Alfredo Grijalba took lap honors after reaching the Camarines Norte Capitol Bldg. in 4 hours, 14 minutes and three seconds.

“I attacked in the last 30-km with the other guys. That’s for trying to get the yellow jersey and for trying to get the win. I’m so happy,” said Grijalba, who spent 10 days acclimating in Dagupan.

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He towed a 10-man group with him, including Filipino bets Rustom Lim and Arjay Peralta of 7-Eleven Roadbike Philipines to the finish line. His big push saw Whitehouse’ cumulative lead of  8 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds shredded to just few previous seconds when it was over.

Spaniard Fernando Grijalba of Kuwait Cartucho.Es  Team screams after winning Stage 3 of the Le Tour de Filipinas 8th edition.

Whitehouse, who was the Stage 1 winner and is more of a climber, was 37th for the stage and had a cumulative time of 12:30.54. Whitehouse’s edge is now down to just 23 seconds, with Attaque Team’s Gusto Benjamin just a second behind the stage winner.

More than a thousand flag-waving schoolchildren from three elementary schools located along the race’s path cheered on as Grijalba made his move in the rolling and winding terrain of Bitukang Manok, with 22 kms left to the finish line.

He led a four-man pack that broke away from the main peloton and merged with a nine-man lead that had been maintaining their grip on the lead since the start.

This lead group included Filipino bets George Oconer of the national team, Team CCN’s Mark Bonzo and Peralta.

The pack that Oconer, Bonzo and Peralta belonged to was an 11-man bunch at first that led by as much as 6 minutes and 30 seconds, some 33 kilometers out of Naga City, after entering the out-and back route of Tigaon town.

They kept their advantage until the 120-km mark and after a very patient Grijalba stepped it up.

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