TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte -- Davao City's cycling team struck for two more gold medals courtesy of Richard Handumon, Jr. and Brian Cantamayor on Day 3 of the Batang Pinoy 2016 National Championships here Tuesday, November 29.
Davao City's cycling team garnered a total of six golds, five silvers, and four bronzes.
Handumon, who snared the boys 16-17 mountain bike gold Monday, doubled his feat by topping the 46-kilometer category A boys 17-below mass start road bike event with a time of one hour, eight minutes and 59.52 seconds in an out-and-back course from the Davao Provincial Capital road.
The Grade 11 Emar Human and Environmental College (Ehec) student Handumon, 16, bested General Santos City's Evan Jan Nestor Almeria and fellow Dabawenyo Orlando Samlahon, Jr. who copped the silver and bronze, respectively.
Handomon, lured to cycling through his father Richard, Sr. who invited him to a family joy ride when he was 12, attacked in the last kilometer of the race. But one kilometer after flag down, he fell along with other riders but the Dabawenyo continued and went on to claim the gold.
"Gi-control namo sa akong teammate kay kaya ra mag-sprint sa last 500 meters pero sa sugod palang nadamay nako sa semplang, tumba jud ko pero nibangon ko para ipadayon. Nakita nako ang uban wala najud nilumba, dunay mga nasamad og niundang. Pasalamat ko wala ko maunsa (My teammate and I controlled the pace since we were confident we could sprint in the last 500m but I fell with the others at the start, got up and raced again. I saw the others quit while some got injured and bruised. I'm thankful I was safe)," Handumon said in an interview with VoxPop Davao, adding he was "inspired" to keep going.
Cantamayor, meanwhile, ruled the category B boys under-15 mass start, registering 1:08:20.76 over Jasper Erlad Caisip (1:09:02.64) of General Santos City and John Anthony Tabigue (1:09:04.63) of Kidapawan City.
Cantamayor, a 15 year-old Grade 8 student of Maa National High School, broke away in the last 500 meters.
"Ayaw nilang sumabay sa akin kasi alam nilang magka-counter ako," he said of his rivals.
The first-time Batang Pinoy champion aside from being a part of the national team, also dreams of just finishing his studies and find a stable and decent job.
For aspiring cyclists, he said, "Magdasal sa Diyos at parating magpraktis."
Myra Regina Acedo, for her part, failed to clinch the gold but instead salvaged the bronze in category B girls under-15 mass start. She earlier captured two golds in mountain bike.
