In the 1975 Tour of Luzon, East Visayas stalwart Paquito Rivas surrendered both the lap victory and the yellow jersey to East Pangasinan stalwart Samson Etrata—breaking his otherwise flawless winning streak in the Burgos-to-Baguio lap.
Paquito Rivas' victory in the inaugural 1979 Marlboro Tour yielded a 9-minute, 29.3-second gap—acclaimed as the widest margin of victory since the revival of the Tour of Luzon in 1973
In 1976, Rivas flipped the script; broke Quilban's 1969 benchmark in the Burgos-Baguio ITT lap.
The Eagle of the Mountain, Paquito Rivas, reached the pinnacle of his career at the '79 Marlboro Tour and ended his flight forever at the age of 79.
Paquito Rivas stands as the third Visayan national tour champion since the dawn of modern age in Philippine road racing in 1955. Rivas is also celebrated as the first Visayan rider to capture a national overall victory since the great revival of the Tour of Luzon in 1973.
Philippine cycling mourns the loss of another legendary cyclist and Eagle of the Mountain, Paquito Rivas, the 1973 Tour of Luzon Rookie of the Year and Marlboro Tour 1979 champion.
Rivas made an explosive debut in the 1973 Tour of Luzon, showcasing his prowess as a rookie with a dominant performance in the Burgos-Baguio Individual Time Trial (ITT).
all words by Mike Franchetti
Your Not-For-Profit Voice for Local Sport
Naglilingkod sa Diyos at sa Bayan sa pagtuturo ng Kasaysayan
