AT 39, cycling doesn’t stop — and so thus clinching a medal — for Mark John Lexer Galedo who clinched silver in the Masters 40-44 years old category of individual time trial (ITT) on Saturday at the Asian Cycling Confederation Road Championships in Phitnasulok, Thailand.

Galedo clocked 28 minutes and 25.2 seconds in the 21-km race won by Thailand’s Tawatchai Jeeradechatam, who was 35 seconds faster than the Filipino, an ITT gold medalist at the Myanmar 2013 Southeast Asian Games.

Thailand’s Kritsana Keawjun clinched the bronze medal behind Galedo,  in the Masters races where another Filipino, Roderic Calla was sixth in the 45-49 years old group.

A Special Citation awardee at the recent Philippine Sportswriters Association-San Miguel Corp. Annual Awards, Galedo has retired as an elite rider in 2024 and was classified in the 40-44 category in Phitnasulok based on his year of birth.

“I’m so happy for this victory and so inspired to see our flag being raised here,” said Galedo, who’s now one of the coaches a 21-cyclist national team competing in the championships through the PhilCycling, Philippine Sports Commission and the MVP Sports Foundation.

“Thank you to the PSC, POC [Philippine Olympic Committee] and PhilCycling president [Abraham] Bambol Tolentino, to 7Eleven Roadbike Philippines, to my family for the opportunity to compete here,” he said.

Galedo, who won his fifth Tour of Guam crown before retiring last December,  will also compete in the road race on Thursday.

TWENTY-ONE athletes checked in at Phitsanulok at close to midnight on Wednesday (February 5) for the 44th Asian Road Cycling Championships and 31st Asian Junior Road Cycling Championships that flags off tomorrow (Friday, February 7) in this city situated north of Thailand.

Cambodia 2023 Southeast Asian Games double bronze medalist Ronald Oranza and Philippines 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Jermyn Prado lead the team sent to the annual championships by the PhilCycling, headed by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Joining them are junior riders Kent Steven Zambrano of Sultan Kudarat, Roy Benedict Plastina of Makati City, Mary Gwennielle Francisco of Quezon City and Jazmine Kaye Vinoya of Pangasinan and Baguio City who topped their respective events in the Batang Pinoy Nationals last December in Puerto Princesa City.

This marks the first time that the PhilCycling is fielding junior riders from the Batang Pinoy that serves as a feeder from the grassroots for the national team elite program.

Also on the team— whose participation is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission led by chairman Richard Bachmann and commissioner in charge for cycling Walter Torres— are Joshua Pascual, Julius Tudtud, Junrey Navarra, Marcelo Felipe, Steven Nicolas Shane Tablizo, Andrei Dennis Deudor, Jude Gabriel Francisco and Ruzel Agapito in the men’s category.         

Phoebe Salazar, Maura Christine March de los Reyes, Maritoni Krog, Kim Syrel Bonilla, Angelica Mae Altamarino, Angela Joy Marie Bermejo and Raven Joy Valdez are competing in the women’s contest for Team Cycling Philippines also backed by the MVP Sports Foundation.

The team arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon before embarking on a six-hour land trip to Phitsanulok, where the riders will vie in team mixed relay, individual time trial and road race events of the championships that end on February 17.

Accompanying the team are coaches Reinhard Gorantes, Mark John Lexer Galedo, Virgilio Espiritu, Marita Lucas and Joey de los Reyes and mechanics Reynaldo Navarro and Roderic Calla with Sunshine Joy Vallejos as team director.