NAGA CITY’S Marvin Tapic topped stage one of the Le Tour de Filipinas Padyak Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Race, which started at the Cebu City Hall and ended in Toledo City.
Tapic, competing in Category A, finished the 60-kilometer race that passed through the dreaded uphill and rugged terrain of the Naga-Uling pass in one hour, 20 minutes and 44.18 seconds.
Romnick Bitbit of Bago City, Negros Occidental finished in second place in 1 hour, 21 minutes and 03.96 seconds. Fellow category A rider from Cebu City Elmer Navarro came in at third, clocking 1 hour, 21 minutes and 06.01 seconds.
Warren Biñan of Boljoon town, southern Cebu and Ramonito Espinosa of Minglanilla finished in a tie for fourth place with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes and 50.17 seconds.
But Biñan was declared the fourth placer since he is competing in a higher category. Biñan is in category A, while Espinosa is racing in category B.
A total of 56 cyclists competed in stage one but only 47 were able to finish.
The race will resume today starting in Toledo City for stage two. It will end in Aloguinsan town for a total distance of 40 kilometers.
The 47 finishers will make up the cast of competitors for stage two, the winners gaining a chance to represent Visayas for the International Le Tour de Filipinas scheduled this April. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL