Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Joey Barba finished first in the downhill open expert category while his fellow RP Team cyclists Eusebio Quiñones, Eric Feliciano and Niño Surban ruled the cross country open expert division of the 1st Negros International Mountain Bike Championship held Nov. 15-16 in Bacolod City and Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia.

Donning the colors of Team Iron Horse, Barba, who won the Philippines’ first gold medal in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games, beat to the finish line his cousin Eleazar Barba of Team Kamikaze and Quiñones of Team Commencal during the downhill contest in Mambukal.

The next day, Quiñones, made his mark in the cross country event in Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City, finishing ahead of 16 other cyclists including fellow national cyclists Feliciano and Surban of Team DBS, who settled for second and third place.

Meanwhile, Kevin Temblador of HANS GEE topped the downhill intermediate        category while Gudgie Deslate of Bike.com took the second  spot and and Gabby Cordova of Team Afriques at third. Top three finishers in the downhill executive category were Nelson Tan of BIKELAB/COMBAT, Lex Evangelista of HANS GEE, and Tan’s teammate Boy Sarol.

Novice category in the downhill event was ruled by Benjamin Velasco of John Wilke with Alvin Alvar at second place and Jem Agarpao, third place.

SICAD Silay Team secured three top finishes in the senior sports, veterans, and masters categories in cross country. Aldren Alojado beat to the finish line Kamikuti’s Ricarte Dichoso Jr. and Alden Dumlao in senior sports while Gilbert Ravello finished ahead of FCBA’s Ronnie Mana-ay and BOLCA’s Marlon Dumahon in the veterans department.

Ernesto Parohinog gave SICAD Silay another championship in the masters division, beating Rolly Onggada of Kamikuti and Iloilo’s Giovani Nonato while Jay Eusebio topped the cross country executive with Ronnie Bautista of ICA finishing second and MBOMB’s Mike Ermac at third place.

Drawing the biggest number of participants was the cross country Beginners B with 66 entries, topped by Gerald Oquias of Firm Multi Sports with Ryan Emplo and Jonathan Sacate of IBEX finishing second and third. Beginners A, with 54 entries, was ruled by Oliver Portillano of IMBA Iloilo with Roel Somilla of TRN in second place and Ronnie Roxas of SMB Sagay at third place.

In the women’s category, Alexandra Ganzon of Iloilo beat Maika Mora and Abigail Tio while 29r category had Benjie Gomez of Executive Riders as top finisher and Gabriel Horedja of Manila, second place and Allan Uy, third.

Meanwhile, cyclists from Iloilo captured four of the six categories in the Criterium event at the Capitol Lagoon with Edsel Sion dominating the open expert and senior sports contests. Noe Hacate topped the veterans while Benjie Dafitas won the executive division for the Iloilo team.

The mountain bike race in Bacolod City was organized by the Negros Occidental Cyclists Federation with Dan Ramirez as overall chairman and Mike Ermac as tournament director.*NAB

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