Remembering Cornelio Padilla
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 10 Dec 2013
Filipino Olympian and cycling legend Cornelio Padilla Jr. succumbed to heart failure last December 8 at the St. Luke?s Global Medical Center.
Padilla, who worked his way to earning a law degree by delivering newspapers in the Roces family-owned pre-Martial Law Manila Times chain of publications, and one of only four cyclists to capture Tour of Luzon back-to-back crowns, turned 67 last November 18.
An Olympian having carried the country?s colors in his sport in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, ?Jun? to relatives and ?Paddy? to the cycling community is survived by his wife Luzviminda nee Gumatay); children Jennifer, May, Nathalie and Eli? father Cornelio Sr., mother Rosenda and relatives.
His remains lie in state at the Funeraria Paz along Araneta Ave. in Quezon City where a service will be held tonight. Cremation will be held tomorrow Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Paddy rose to fame when he was chosen member of he Philippine cycling team to the 18th 9lympic Games held in Tokyo 49 years ago where he could have joined featherweight boxer Anthony Villanueva, silver medalist, in the medal podium had it not for a freak accident.
Paddy was among the 10-men lead pack down the stretch of the 194.832-kilometer individual road race when a spill took place causing him and a few other competitors to fall of their bikes.
?Palusong kami at malapit nba sa fijnish line nang may sumemplang sa harap ko. Bagksak kaming nasa likuran at din a nakarecover. Yung nasa unahan nakawala at sila ang naglaban para sa medalya,? Padilla rued to this writer, then also a member of Times? delivery force, and several newsboys days after the national contingent returned home.
Newspaper accounts of the race narrated that Padilla and those affected by the spill crossed the finish line limping on foot. The Filipino managed a decent 77th finish out of 139-man field.
?Tingin ko noon, kaya kong mag-bronze man lang. Nakasabit ako sa breakaway group at ako na lang ang naiwan kasi laglag lahat ang teammates ko,? he recalled referring to Norberto Arceo, Daniel Olivares and Arturo Romeo, who all failed to finish.
Padilla and company finished 29 in the 109.893-kilometer team time trial.
The following year, Padilla completed a gold-bronze medal finish for the Philippines in the 1965 Asian Cycling Championships hosted by the county when he ended up third behind gold medalists compatriot Manuel Reynante.
Still a year later, he ruled the 1966 Tour of Luzon, a 14-stage, 1,803-kilometer run, a feat he repeated in 1967 in a 16-lap 2,284-run, thus joining feloloow2 cycling greats Antonio Arzala (1955 and 1956) and then arch-rival and kumpadre Jose Sumalde (1964 and 1965) in the elite list of back-to-pack winners.
Also in that list are Jacinto Sicam who did the trick 14 years emercing as two straight year victor of the Marlboro Tour in 1981 and 1982 and Carlo Guieb in 1993 and 1994.
Arzala, actually, emerged ther winningest rider in the annuyal event called the ?Summer Classic opn heels? with three, counting his triumph in 1959.
Reynante, who also passed away last year, also triumphed twice same with Jesus Garcia Jr., Renatoi Dolosa and Warren Dsavadilla. Reynante reigned supreme in the 1976 Tour Ng Pilipinas and 1980 Marlboro Tour.
Dolosa was King of Marlboro Tour in 1992 and 1995, while Davadilla was Padyak Pinoy champ in 1998 and 2004.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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