Rush Camingao delivered a dominant performance to secure the gold medal in the Men Under-23 road race at the PhilCycling National Championships for Road on Thursday in Tuy, Batangas.

Camingao crossed the finish line solo, holding a 90-second lead over the rest of the field in the 171-km race, which featured rolling terrain and strong winds. He clocked a winning time of 4 hours, 1 minute, and 34.58 seconds in the event presented by the MVP Sports Foundation and Standard Insurance.

Silver and a Controversial Sprint for Bronze

Rking Roque claimed silver, crossing the line at 4:03.54, while the battle for bronze was marred by controversy.

Race officials relegated Jude Gabriel Francisco one position down for foul riding in the final sprint, awarding the bronze medal to Steven Tablizo. Both riders represent continental teams Victoria Sports and Standard Insurance Philippines, respectively.

“A report from the Chief Judge [Armanda Filosopo] and Chief and Assistant Timers [Willie Carandang and Philip Arao] prompted the handing out of the penalty on the rider,” said Dominic Carpio, president of the race’s commissaire panel.

Challenging Conditions for Riders

The race saw a starting field of 123 cyclists, with 30 riders failing to finish due to the hot, humid, and windy conditions. Competitors faced false flats and rolling terrain in the circuit that passed through Batangas Putol, Tuy, Balayan, Lian, and Nasugbu.

The average race speed was recorded at 42.50 km/h, with top speeds reaching 70 km/h in certain sections.

More Races to Come

The Women Elite and Under-23 combined race took place later in the afternoon, while the Men Elite road race will be contested on Friday, wrapping up the championships organized by PhilCycling and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).