Guys,
Before i begin this report, i have to give special thanks to boss Joel G. for his unwavering confidence in me (you could have chosen to bring in big guns and much stronger rider's boss.... or you could have given a qualifying ride and drop me) but you chose not to go that way and give chance to greenhorns like me.So thats how you earn my respect.
Im sure 2006 would be different...bring in big cannons (hopefully not the hot headed variety though, because we all wear the PHILIPPINE FLAG)
and there will be total domination of TOUR OF EGAT by Filipinos. (BUT do we really want total domination and earn the ire of the other teams? hahaha). Its your choice boss....chose wisely.
Team, i am sure that after going through hell and back we would see each other again and treat each and everyone like a band of blood brothers......please allow me to thank you for treating me so well in thailand....i hope you enjoy my stories as much as i enjoy yours. In the end it all comes down to this...
TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES 2005 HAS GAINED THE RESPECT OF EACH PARTICIPANT IN EGAT AND EARNED THE RESPECT OF THE ORGANIZERS FOR PLAYING A REMARKABLE AND ORGANIZED RACE. THE TEAM WAS SO ORGANIZED EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT THIS IS THE NEW NATIONAL TEAM. IMAGINE THEIR SURPRIZE WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT BACK HOME ...TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES 2005 BELONG TO DIFFERENT TEAMS AND COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER.
Inspite of coming from different teams, this team has banded together as if they have been formed over the years, and each and every attack coming from this team has earned the respect of defending champion BMW/cannondale.
Team, the real difference between our team and the other teams is the BIG HEART and IRON WILLED DETERMINATION TO WIN AND OR FINISH. The other team just folded. thats how good this team is.
I am very very happy to have been included in this team and i assure you...i wont forget you guys for the rest of my life....YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES REPORT:
April 27,2005 Dencios, at the Fort
Joel G has called for a meeting at 7:15pm to finalize and brief everyone about our trip. last minute discussions on what to bring and what to expect in Egat was the agenda over san mig lights and pulutan. By this time, i see how well trained the pther participants are by the color of their skin.To think that i finished 60th during the 85km climb tanauan to tagaytay make me wonder how the hell im going to fare in Egat.. Anthony and Ernie continued their 100km a day training after the Payapa race while i have to nurse sore legs and didnt do any riding the week after payapa race. My only consolation is knowing that I never quit nor stopped in payapa and since that is my hardest race ....i wonder if there is anything like it even in thailand. Im surprized to find everybody down to earth. To understand how determined this group really is to finish egat....Eric carandang even asked someone to bring a spare fork, chain, and handlebar....because HE WANTS TO CONTINUE EVEN IN THE EVENT OF A BAD CRASH! bad enough to break a fork? i thought if that crash happened to me i'd probably ride a taxi and go straight to pat phong and have fun. Meeting adjourned by 9pm and everybody was having this nervous and exciting feeling...same kind of feeling i guess when one gets assigned to France and go ride the TOUR DE FRANCE. ITS THAT INTENSE!
April 29,2005 Friday
Despite my hectic schedule, last minute meetings and collection day, i managed to go to clarence and get the red white and blue Team Powerbar Jerseys. I have been assigned by Joel G to pick the jerseys and bring them to the airport and distribute at the airport.
April 30, 2005 Saturday
I'm living in Sta Rita town bulacan which is some 70 kilometers from the airport. I refuse to have a nervous breakdown, so i asked my driver to bring me to the airport by 5:30am. I arrived at the airport at around 7am. I checked in my bike and bag by 7:30. The entire group arrived by 8:30am. We left for bangkok on PAL 730 and arrived at chang mai airport at around 2:30pm. We were met by ex-Singapore national rider Lawrence Kwa and all our bikes were placed in an open 6 wheeler truck.
We arrived same time with some BMW cannondale guys and we traveled by aircon tourist bus to the Royal River hotel in bangkok.
We picked up only two boxes of powerbar gel and bars. and instead of the promised 24 gels for each rider, the team gets 8 bars and 8 gels for the entire race and thats about it. fortunately for me, i dont rely on gifts so i had my wife buy extra gels and extra powerbars, a loaf of Gardenia bread, two boxes of skyflakes, 2 packs of brownies, extra joss , water, and my life support system (zefal hydration pack). if im gonna get lost in myanmar i have enough food for two days, one extra tube, puncture repair kit, passport, ticket,visa card, $500 and baht...really enough cash to buy ticket even if i lost my ticket.
We unpacked our bikes in the bin room and saw all the pinarello dogmas, ridley damocles, frondriest, tommasinis, trek madonne, giant carbons....nameit they have it. Our team got Look 585s and Sevens and i saw people actually say ooohs and aahs and the bmw guys just approached and lifted our bikes to find out how light the bike is.
Afterwards we were treated to open air buffet by the river (have our photos taken...you wont believe how camera ready the filipinos are!) and called it a day.
MAy 1,2005 Race day Bangkok to Kanchanaburi 180kms
we left hotel by 7am and got to ride bikes 5kms to the starting line only to find out that Eric C, Ronald, and Ernie was left behind at the hotel!!!!
Peter Mutuc was worried sick and have to call officials to delay the start.happily the group arrived before rolling start. Rolling start was a long long 28kilometers as we got paraded inside bangkok. After being paraded we stopped to relieve ourselves and take in water. The temperature by 8am was 42 degress and so hot! No wind! I said this weather is like 3pm in manila! Race started promptly. after 4 minutes we were released and with helicopter aerial coverage we can just imagine ourselves being in the TOUR DE FRANCE!
Nothing gets better than this, so team powerbar starts moving up front to avoid the crashes. by 60km mark around 40 people got dropped and we hear crashes caused by water bottles. the road is like newly paved north luzon expressway so smooth the speed is bearable at 60 to 42kph pahinga. I stuck like leech as long as i can hoping that i could make it till the 100km mark. i did make it, but afterwards have no more power left. I was with a group of siam bara riders. i talked to one in halting english. DO YOU WANT TO FINISH? he said NO. so i speeded up to find the next rider who happened to be william from Singapore. I asked him DO YOU WANT TO FINISH? He said sure (i later found out he will be the ring leader of the bente bente group 20kph group). The rest of the story you will read about in quotable quotes part 2. I ended up finishing with him in 5 hours 20mins.
Eric Got Lost and so did Ronald , Cecil decided to stop at the 150km mark, anthony stayed with the peloton and finished at 7th place, PEDI GOT FIRST FOR 50 AND UP, Joel G got2nd, Ernie got 6th, Robin took 9th, peter 10th, Ariel missed the breakaway but travelled as a one man chase group by his lonesome for 10 kilometers to wind up 11th place (what an effort!) and i winded up way way back. Back at the hotel the list of results was posted and i saw that the winners list will include only those riders making the 30minutes cut off. Eric and Ronald was initially listed as DNF because according to one official they crossed the line on the wrong side of the street! Ronald lamented that he was lost 22 kilometers and was so tired he was hallucinating. I have never raced that long in my life and the team was laughing when i said i just got back from THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
to be continued.......
raymond see
team powerbar philippines 2005
Before i begin this report, i have to give special thanks to boss Joel G. for his unwavering confidence in me (you could have chosen to bring in big guns and much stronger rider's boss.... or you could have given a qualifying ride and drop me) but you chose not to go that way and give chance to greenhorns like me.So thats how you earn my respect.
Im sure 2006 would be different...bring in big cannons (hopefully not the hot headed variety though, because we all wear the PHILIPPINE FLAG)
and there will be total domination of TOUR OF EGAT by Filipinos. (BUT do we really want total domination and earn the ire of the other teams? hahaha). Its your choice boss....chose wisely.
Team, i am sure that after going through hell and back we would see each other again and treat each and everyone like a band of blood brothers......please allow me to thank you for treating me so well in thailand....i hope you enjoy my stories as much as i enjoy yours. In the end it all comes down to this...
TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES 2005 HAS GAINED THE RESPECT OF EACH PARTICIPANT IN EGAT AND EARNED THE RESPECT OF THE ORGANIZERS FOR PLAYING A REMARKABLE AND ORGANIZED RACE. THE TEAM WAS SO ORGANIZED EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT THIS IS THE NEW NATIONAL TEAM. IMAGINE THEIR SURPRIZE WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT BACK HOME ...TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES 2005 BELONG TO DIFFERENT TEAMS AND COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER.
Inspite of coming from different teams, this team has banded together as if they have been formed over the years, and each and every attack coming from this team has earned the respect of defending champion BMW/cannondale.
Team, the real difference between our team and the other teams is the BIG HEART and IRON WILLED DETERMINATION TO WIN AND OR FINISH. The other team just folded. thats how good this team is.
I am very very happy to have been included in this team and i assure you...i wont forget you guys for the rest of my life....YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
TEAM POWERBAR PHILIPPINES REPORT:
April 27,2005 Dencios, at the Fort
Joel G has called for a meeting at 7:15pm to finalize and brief everyone about our trip. last minute discussions on what to bring and what to expect in Egat was the agenda over san mig lights and pulutan. By this time, i see how well trained the pther participants are by the color of their skin.To think that i finished 60th during the 85km climb tanauan to tagaytay make me wonder how the hell im going to fare in Egat.. Anthony and Ernie continued their 100km a day training after the Payapa race while i have to nurse sore legs and didnt do any riding the week after payapa race. My only consolation is knowing that I never quit nor stopped in payapa and since that is my hardest race ....i wonder if there is anything like it even in thailand. Im surprized to find everybody down to earth. To understand how determined this group really is to finish egat....Eric carandang even asked someone to bring a spare fork, chain, and handlebar....because HE WANTS TO CONTINUE EVEN IN THE EVENT OF A BAD CRASH! bad enough to break a fork? i thought if that crash happened to me i'd probably ride a taxi and go straight to pat phong and have fun. Meeting adjourned by 9pm and everybody was having this nervous and exciting feeling...same kind of feeling i guess when one gets assigned to France and go ride the TOUR DE FRANCE. ITS THAT INTENSE!
April 29,2005 Friday
Despite my hectic schedule, last minute meetings and collection day, i managed to go to clarence and get the red white and blue Team Powerbar Jerseys. I have been assigned by Joel G to pick the jerseys and bring them to the airport and distribute at the airport.
April 30, 2005 Saturday
I'm living in Sta Rita town bulacan which is some 70 kilometers from the airport. I refuse to have a nervous breakdown, so i asked my driver to bring me to the airport by 5:30am. I arrived at the airport at around 7am. I checked in my bike and bag by 7:30. The entire group arrived by 8:30am. We left for bangkok on PAL 730 and arrived at chang mai airport at around 2:30pm. We were met by ex-Singapore national rider Lawrence Kwa and all our bikes were placed in an open 6 wheeler truck.
We arrived same time with some BMW cannondale guys and we traveled by aircon tourist bus to the Royal River hotel in bangkok.
We picked up only two boxes of powerbar gel and bars. and instead of the promised 24 gels for each rider, the team gets 8 bars and 8 gels for the entire race and thats about it. fortunately for me, i dont rely on gifts so i had my wife buy extra gels and extra powerbars, a loaf of Gardenia bread, two boxes of skyflakes, 2 packs of brownies, extra joss , water, and my life support system (zefal hydration pack). if im gonna get lost in myanmar i have enough food for two days, one extra tube, puncture repair kit, passport, ticket,visa card, $500 and baht...really enough cash to buy ticket even if i lost my ticket.
We unpacked our bikes in the bin room and saw all the pinarello dogmas, ridley damocles, frondriest, tommasinis, trek madonne, giant carbons....nameit they have it. Our team got Look 585s and Sevens and i saw people actually say ooohs and aahs and the bmw guys just approached and lifted our bikes to find out how light the bike is.
Afterwards we were treated to open air buffet by the river (have our photos taken...you wont believe how camera ready the filipinos are!) and called it a day.
MAy 1,2005 Race day Bangkok to Kanchanaburi 180kms
we left hotel by 7am and got to ride bikes 5kms to the starting line only to find out that Eric C, Ronald, and Ernie was left behind at the hotel!!!!
Peter Mutuc was worried sick and have to call officials to delay the start.happily the group arrived before rolling start. Rolling start was a long long 28kilometers as we got paraded inside bangkok. After being paraded we stopped to relieve ourselves and take in water. The temperature by 8am was 42 degress and so hot! No wind! I said this weather is like 3pm in manila! Race started promptly. after 4 minutes we were released and with helicopter aerial coverage we can just imagine ourselves being in the TOUR DE FRANCE!
Nothing gets better than this, so team powerbar starts moving up front to avoid the crashes. by 60km mark around 40 people got dropped and we hear crashes caused by water bottles. the road is like newly paved north luzon expressway so smooth the speed is bearable at 60 to 42kph pahinga. I stuck like leech as long as i can hoping that i could make it till the 100km mark. i did make it, but afterwards have no more power left. I was with a group of siam bara riders. i talked to one in halting english. DO YOU WANT TO FINISH? he said NO. so i speeded up to find the next rider who happened to be william from Singapore. I asked him DO YOU WANT TO FINISH? He said sure (i later found out he will be the ring leader of the bente bente group 20kph group). The rest of the story you will read about in quotable quotes part 2. I ended up finishing with him in 5 hours 20mins.
Eric Got Lost and so did Ronald , Cecil decided to stop at the 150km mark, anthony stayed with the peloton and finished at 7th place, PEDI GOT FIRST FOR 50 AND UP, Joel G got2nd, Ernie got 6th, Robin took 9th, peter 10th, Ariel missed the breakaway but travelled as a one man chase group by his lonesome for 10 kilometers to wind up 11th place (what an effort!) and i winded up way way back. Back at the hotel the list of results was posted and i saw that the winners list will include only those riders making the 30minutes cut off. Eric and Ronald was initially listed as DNF because according to one official they crossed the line on the wrong side of the street! Ronald lamented that he was lost 22 kilometers and was so tired he was hallucinating. I have never raced that long in my life and the team was laughing when i said i just got back from THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
to be continued.......
raymond see
team powerbar philippines 2005
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