THE PHILIPPINES will have one ally in its quest for a spot to next year’s Paris Olympics — International Cycling Union (UCI) President David Lappartient.
PhilCycling Chief Abraham Tolentino yesterday said Mr. Lappartient gave his nod to the former’s proposal for the country to be allowed to field in one entry each in road race, BMX and mountain bike qualifying races for the Paris Games.
“We talked, discussed and expounded on anything and everything about cycling that he [Mr. Lappartient] highlighted by vowing to support our program,” said Mr. Tolentino, during the Asian Cycling Confederation Congress in Bali, Indonesia.
“The support will cascade to a UCI program through the World Cycling Center Asia headquarters in South Korea,” added the Philippine Olympic Committee president.
Mr. Tolentino also presented to the ACC Congress the country’s breakthrough hosting of the Asian BMX (Racing and Freestyle) Championships at the UCI-standard Tagaytay City BMX track on July 15 and 16.
The BMX track in Tagaytay City is the sole UCI-standard track in the country and the first in Asia to have a roof.
It hosted the BMX competitions of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
Mr. Lappartient apparently has a soft heart for the country having been in the country in 1995 as one of the commissaries in the Asian road and track championships at the Amoranto Velodrome and Subic.
And the support should go a long way for a country aiming to qualify a cyclist to Paris. — Joey Villar
