By Jonathan Perez / Special to the BusinessMirror
Saipan, CNMI—Jan Paul Morales survived all the adversities he faced in the recent 2016 Hell of the Marianas, as the sprint specialist stamped his class on foreign terrain—beating a field that was surprised with the Filipino brand of cycling.
Morales, a longtime national team member, won in three hours, four minutes and 51 seconds to beat a strong field of pros in the 10th edition of the region’s toughest racing event.
Morales crashed while heading downhill after making the turn at Suicide Cliff. He overshot a sharp curve, as he tried to avoid hitting a car that was blocking the road. His rear tire was also deformed in the process after defending champion Ryutaro Nakamura—who also lost control—hit him from behind.
“Going down the cliff there was a dangerous curve and my tire did not get enough traction, so I skidded as I tried to avoid a car that was parked at the inner lane, instead on the side of the road. Then I felt someone hit me at the back,” Morales said in Filipino.
After a quick tire change, Morales, despite having bruises and cuts, was at it again and chased the lead group going to the scenic Bird Island lookout and Grotto. He was behind the group by only 30 seconds heading to Banzai Cliff and caught up, as the race took on flat roads toward the Saipan International Airport.
From there, the Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance ace shadowed the group as they reached Airport Road. But he again encountered problems after his roller broke, giving him only three gears entering the crucial stretch.
His support crew, led by Coach Reindhar Gorantes, tried to fix the problem using a loaned bike allen wrench. Gorantes quickly remedied the problem, but still it cost Morales precious time. Saipan-based Filipino cyclists even volunteered to lend Morales their own roadbike, but there was no more time to change bikes.
The gamble paid off. Displaying grit and determination, Morales again caught up with the lead pack that included compatriot, 7-Eleven Sava Road Bike Philippines’s Mark Lexer Galedo, 2014 champion Konstantin Fast and last year’s winner Nakamura. Aleksandr Dorovskikh, Japanese Makoto Morimoto and Filipino triathlete Joe Miller of Ford Forza was also in the lead group.
And even with only three gears working, Morales kept his pace and slowly pulled away, as they headed for the flat roads going to the finish line across Marianas Resort and Spa. He secured the win in the final 8 kilometers with Gorantes, while on board a pickup truck that trailed the Filipino riders the entire race, giving instructions.
The pro-Filipino crowd that gathered at the finish line erupted as they saw Morales all alone sprinting his way to the finish line. Morimoto tried to keep in stride with Morales, but could not catch up with the Filipino to settle for second place with a time of 3:05:53.
Galedo made it a 1-3 finish for the Filipinos with 3:06:18.
Morales, a Ronda Pilipinas two-stage winner, took home the $2,000 top prize, while Morimoto settled for the $1,500 runner-up purse and Galedo $1,200.
Dorovskikh was a minute behind Galedo, coming in at fourth 3:07:57. Nakamura was a distant fifth at 3:13:38, followed by Miller at 3:19:43. Fast did not finish the race, as he got dizzy and felt dehydrated at the 50-kilometer mark.
“I thought that I’ve lost my chance of winning this race, since all I did was to catch up with them. I thought that I won’t be able to catch them. I’m glad I survived the tough climbs, even with only three gears working,” Morales said. “That’s why when we reached the flat roads, I gave it my all.”
Galedo decided to play second fiddle behind Morales in order to make sure that a Filipino would win the race. He was a marked man right from the start because of his enviable credential as an all-around rider in the Asian Tour.
“I’m glad a Filipino won the race. That’s what’s important. The two Japanese tailed me all the way and they shadowed me all throughout the race,” said Galedo, whose initial plan was to ride alongside Morales to foil the title bid of their opponents.
Image credits: Jonathan Perez