Davadilla keeps lead after penultimate stage

Davadilla keeps lead after penultimate stage

MANILA (AP): Filipino Warren Davadilla held his overall lead in the grueling Tour of the Philippines despite a 28th-place showing in yesterday's penultimate leg won by Hong Kong's Wong Kam Po.

Wong, last year's champion, was in 18th place overall after the 165.1-kilometer (102.7-mile) 15th stage from Agoo town in La Union province to the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga province north of here.

The 16th and final stage covering 80 kilometers is to be held in Manila today.

Davadilla finished stage 15 in 28th place with 12 other riders, but held a 6-minute, 37-second overall lead. In second was Carlo Guieb of the Northern Luzon team, followed by Victor Espiritu, the Philippine team captain.

The Philippine national team remained on top overall with one day to go in the 2,494-kilometer (1,558-mile) race. Malaysia placed seventh overall and China was eighth. Seven other Filipino provincial and regional teams rounded out the top 10.

A victory by the Filipinos, who lost last year when the race was opened to other Asians, would be doubly significant this year as the Philippines marks the centennial of its declaration of independence from Spanish colonialism.

Results

15th stage: 1. Wong Kam Po (Hkg), 3hr 53mins 7secs 2. Nilo Estayo (Phi), same 3. Manuel Mendoza (Phi), same 4. Michael Gonowon (Phi), same 5. Bernardo Llentada (Phi), 7secs behind

Overall: 1. Warren Davadilla (Phi), 63hrs 22mins 7secs 2. Carlo Guieb (Phi) 6mins, 37secs behind 3. Victor Espiritu (Phi), 7:41 4. Santy Barnachea (Phi), 8:49 5. Placido Valdez (Phi), 10:16