ALAMINOS CITY – Former Tour Pilipinas 2nd runner-up Erickson Obosa, 28, of Manaoag won the 200-kilometer Tour of Pangasinan (Pichay Cup) the other day after he unleashed a finishing kick in the last 300-meters to outsprint four breakaway partners to rule the Pistay Dayat Cycling classic last Tuesday, May 1.

Obosa received the championship trophy from Mayor Hernani Braganza, civic leader Boying Palafox of Bani, Pangasinan and Jason Velasco, who represented Congressman Prospero Pichay, businessman Oscar Angeles and race director Jesus Garcia during the awarding rites at the city auditorium here.

Renato Sembrano of Mangaldan, Pangasinan, Tour Pilipinas Rookie of the Year in 2005, bagged the second prize, while Sherwin Carreras, 22, 3rd; Tour de Langkawi (Malaysia) veteran Rene Esteban, 27, of San Fabian, Pangasinan, 4th; Pepito Caluza, 22 of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, 5th; Elmo Ramos of Binalonan, 6th; former Tour Pilipinas champion Arnel Querimit, 7th; former Philippine team member Renaldo Navarro of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, 8th; Harvey Sicam, nephew of the late Marlboro Tour champion Jacinto Sicam, 9th, and Enrique Domingo of San Carlos City, Tour Pilipinas “sprint king,” 10th placer.

In his speech, Braganza thanked Congressman Pichay and his relatives in Pangasinan for initiating the cycling classic which highlighted the province’s celebration of Pistay Dayat, the biggest summer festival in Pangasinan, better known as Pichay Cup.

Some 88 cyclists , many of them veterans of the Tour of Luzon, Tour Pilipinas and the Marlboro Tour, participated in the province-wide race that started at 10 a.m. in Mangaldan, Pangasinan and ended at 2:30 p.m. in Alaminos City.

Aside from Pichay who traces his roots in Ilocandia, the other sponsors of the tour were Speaker Jose de Venecia, Governor Victor Agbayani, Commissioner Alipio Fernandez, lawyer Raul Lambino, Mayor Hermie Romero of Mangaldan town and civic leader Palafox.