Montemayor and Quiñones rule 7/11 Trail Cross-Country Marathon

EMMANUEL DAVE MONTEMAYOR went back-to-back in the men’s division as national team mainstay Eusebia Nicole Quiñones reigned supreme in the women’s side of the highly-anticipated 7/11 Trail Cross-Country Marathon over the weekend at the Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

Mr. Montemayor, a Meycauayan, Bulacan native, defended his crown by finishing the dreaded 40-kilometer race in one hour, 42 minutes and seven seconds for a better campaign since his championship ride last year.

The 22-year-old rising star clocked in 1:47:20 last edition and covered the enduring up-and-down trail this year in style, including the newly-unveiled Timberland Bike Park, to best Mark Lowel Valderama (1:43:14) and Dave Rhoa (1:43:34).

Ms. Quiñones, who will celebrate her 23rd birthday next month, timed in 2:15:14 to dethrone fellow national team member Shagne Yao (2:15:17) in a photo finish for a fitting redemption after a third-place finish last edition. Adel Pia Sendrijas (2:15:45) finished third.

Mr. Montemayor and Ms. Quiñones took home P25,000 prizes apiece and the prestigious trophies as the conquerors of the challenging single-loop course that comprised a mix of road climbs, fire roads, and single tracks for both professional and amateur riders.

Eusebio “Eboy” Quiñones, father of Nicole and a former SEA Games gold medalist for the Philippine team, also won in the Male 55 and Above age-group category while his son Matthew Symon Quiñones finished 10^th in the Male 19 to 24.

The Quiñones family headlined more than a thousand participants for this year’s 7/11 Trail Series that coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Philippine Seven Corp., the licensor of the renowned convenience stores in the country.

A total of 791 riders out of 1,041 registrants finished the tough race with a 16-year-old racer and a 69-year-old participant being the youngest and oldest finishers, respectively.

“I think we owe cycling a debt of gratitude. It teaches you patience, grit and fearlessness because you crash a lot, especially mountain biking,” said Jose Victor Paterno, president & CEO of Philippine Seven Corp., who himself participated in the race.

“We are beyond thrilled to introduce Timberland Mountain Bike Park as the focal point of this year’s 7-Eleven Trail. It definitely added an exciting dimension to the event, providing an opportunity for participants to experience a whole new thrill of mountain biking.” — John Bryan Ulanday