Japanese rider stamps class in Day 2 of Tour Pilipinas

source: gmanews.tv

A Japanese rider stole the thunder yesterday as Inoue Kazuo of team Bridgestone/Anchor clinched the second stage of Le Tour de Pilipinas in Iba,

..Zambales behind a big finishing kick that caught everybody by surprise, including yellow jersey wearer Emami Rahim of Iran.

The 30-year-old Kazuo gave his all in the last 500 meters entering the Zambales Capitol complex here, finishing first in a large group that included Rahim, the first stage winner, and six local riders in a mad dash to the finish that culminated in front of the Capitol Building.

Kazuo, a resident of Saitama province (some 300 kilometers from the tsunami-ravaged Fokushima in Japan), negotiated the 153.6-kilometer trek that began in Balanga, Bataan, in three hours, 59 minutes and 19 seconds. It is his first-ever lap win in a career spanning 10 years.

“Happy," uttered the 5-foot-5 Japanese rider, basking in triumph after the lung-busting trip that traversed 21 towns bridging the provinces of Bataan and Zambales.

“I like the weather. It’s not humid," added Kazou, who earned the $800 reward for taking the lap victory in this Philcycling event calendared by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as part of the Asia Tour.

Kazou’s total time wasn’t enough though to catapult him to the top ten, owing to his poor showing in the criterium race Saturday where he finished 31st.

At the head of the 36-man second group that came home one second adrift (with identical times of 3:59.20) off the eventual lap winner was Iranian Hamid Shiri Sisan of Suren Cycling Team, who eventually settled for second place, while Jai Crawford of Giant Kenda (of
Australia) checked home third.

Easily the brightest among the local riders who provided a tough challenge to the foreign bets was old warrior Arnel Querimit of Pozzorubio, Pangasinan. He was at 10th spot in the second group in the last 500 before making his own move to finish fourth.

The 2003 Tour champion later said he saw the Japanese suddenly come out from nowhere to overtake their group on to the way to victory. - KY, RCJ, GMA News