With this year’s Padyak Pinoy tour up in the Mountain Province, the cream of the bike odyssey was likewise already going up as perennial national team members Lloyd Reynante and Victor Espiritu ruled the seventh stage of the bike fest and put to the dustbin their dismal finishes in the accident-ridden Laoag-San Fernando stage.

Coming off the municipality of Agoo in La Union, the peloton broke into Baguio City early Thursday, negotiating the treacherous Marcos Highway at 10kph. Air21 team skipper Lloyd Reynante, however, wouldn’t be delayed. Leading a six-man wave, Reynante went pedal-to-the-metal in the climb and led the surge toward the finish line at Burnham Park.

Reynante was getting nearer to becoming the King of the Mountain, with one by one those in his group falling off, until Espiritu crashed into the front echelon of the race and stuck it out with Reynante.

The 1996 rookie-champion of the Tour was reported to have been deep in the middle of the peloton left behind by Reynante. Espiritu let go of the attack put up by Reynante and with about 15km going to Burnham Park, Espiritu apparently had preserved enough energy to stage a chase until he was riding side by side with Reynante.

Both renowned climbers tested each other’s stamina and lung power all the way to the finish line. They clocked in identical records of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds, with Reynante edging out Espiritu by a front wheel. The second-place finish was enough for Espiritu to reclaim the yellow jersey.

Last year’s Padyak Pinoy champion Santy Barnachea, meanwhile, crossed the finish line third, some 3 minutes after the winner. He was said to be hot on the heels of Espiritu during the Reynante chase, but got wind up in the peloton and left the two stage leaders unguarded.