TAGAYTAY City — A Foodpanda rider delivered the biggest shock yet at the Asian Cycling Confederation Track and Para Track Cycling championships, breaking a Philippine record that has stood for 20 years until Sunday at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome.
Zedrick Ivan Honorica set a new Philippine record in the men elite sprint race using the same bike he uses in doing his delivery rounds. He clocked 10.865 seconds, beating record of 11.42 seconds set by many-time tour champion Jan Paul Morales at the Doha 2006 Asian Games.
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Honorica’s bike? A Brain frame that costs P2,500 and a wheel set worth P12,000 which he raised from delivering food — a bike that's far, far cheaper and inferior to the equipment used by the elite riders in the field, some breaching P7 million.
“I race in ‘bente-bente, nothing more,” said the 21-year-old, who is from Marikina like Morales. “I wasn’t aware of the national record, but I know Kuya JPM [Morales], him being a champion … he doesn’t know me, though.”
The effort landed him at 21st out of 22 riders in the event won by Japan’s Kaiya Ota in 9.348 seconds, also shaving a fraction from his previous best of 9.350. But it's not bad for a rider who's just starting out after making the national team as a walk-in in a tryout.
“I saw a post on Facebook by national coach Gil [Virgilio Espirutu) on an invitation for a power test [informal tryouts], and I was second best … that was only last January,” he said.
Honorica's record-breaking performance overshadowed the feat of para rider Patrick Gerard Lee, who put host Philippines on the medal board with his bronze medal in men C5 scratch race of para cycling.
Lee earned points for qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics after winning the country's first medal in the annual championships hosted by PhilCycling and Tagaytay City — right in the first continental exposure of the national para cycling team.
“I pushed and pushed myself, it’s a very tough race,” said Lee, 21, who lost his right forearm from under the elbow in a meat grinder at his aunt’s stall at Marilao Market when he was five years old.
“I’m really very happy because it’s for our country,” added Lee, who’s set to race again on the last day Wednesday of the championships supported by Tagaytay City Mayor Brent Tolentino and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MVP Sports Foundation, Sports Plus PH, Toyota and Peak.
Uzbekistan’s Azimbek Abdullaev won the gold medal and Japan’s Ruito Kameda secured the silver but with a tough challenge from Lee — the result went down to the photo finish.
Another Filipino, Joel Inn Tacutaco, finished fifth in the 14-rider race.
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