BAGUIO CITY—Irish Valenzuela reserved his energy in the flatlands before pouring it all coming home to rule the Liquigaz Race To The Lion’s Head Sunday at Burnham Park.

Valenzuela broke away from the lead pack entering the final 38 kilometers and sustained his charge during the punishing ascent to win the 247-km, Manila-Baguio City massed-start race in six hours, 47 minutes and 57 seconds.

Part of the head group of eight riders, Valenzuela bolted out of the pack with Enrique Domingo and Joseph Millanes on Kennon Road before pulling away for good at the treacherous Lion’s Head, 12 kilometers before the finish line.

Millanes and Domingo slowly faded away while the 21-year-old Valenzuela was negotiating the final stretch of his victory ride as the national-team mainstay soloed it home to bag the P10,000 individual prize.

“This was my first time here, so I want to prove that I can finish,” said Valenzuela in Filipino, the 2006 Padyak Pinoy Rookie of the Year and considered one of the most promising cyclists in the national team.

“I was in the lead pack from the beginning but I started to pour it all when opportunity presented itself on our ascent to Baguio via Kennon,” added last year’s second runner-up in the multistage Padyak.

Valenzuela’s sterling performance also towed his team composed of Renier Clauna, Oscar Rendole, Allan Ricafort, Anthony Miranda, John Ricafort, Edward Nardo and Mark Montemayor to the team title and the P75,000 pot that went with it.

Clauna finished second to Valenzuela with a clocking of six hours, 49 minutes and 30 seconds, while Joel Calderon settled for third in six hours, 49 minutes and 43 seconds.

Valenzuela was also named King of the Mountain worth P5,000, while Millanes won the Sprint King award (P5,000) in the one-day race sponsored by Liquigaz Philippines Corp. and Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketers Association.

Rounding up the top 10 were Dante Cagas (6:51.06), Tomas Martinez (6:52.36), Millanes (6:53.06), Renato Sambrano (6:55.08), Edward Nardo (6:55.20), Obosa (6:57.10) and Merculio Ramos (6:57.35).

Team Three of Valenzuela and Clauna grabbed the overall team crown with an accumulated clocking of the top four riders in 27 hours, 30 minutes and 56.88 seconds, while Team Seven of Ramos finished second overall (28:26.38.14).

Team 11 of Emetilano Atilano copped third-place honors in 29 hours, 29 minutes and 34.36 seconds.

Except for Ramos, the rest of the seasoned riders made up of former Tour champions Warren Davadilla, Victor Espiritu, Arnel Quirimit and Santy Barnachea didn’t make it to the top 10 after fading away prior to the steep climb in Kennon Road.

“Walang ensayo. Hindi ko napaghandaan,” said Davadilla, who won the last Manila-Baguio race in 2000.

Espiritu, who ruled last year’s Padyak Pinoy, wound up 20th (7:10.31) and packed his things as soon as the media pursued him for an interview.

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