Thursday, April 22, 2010

Peru National Road Race Champ

Alessandra wins the National Road Race in Peru

Pass this message around to all the PAC Tour riders who have contributed to the Peru Parts Fund or supported the Projects in Peru.

Alessandra from Iquitos won the Peru National Road Race in Lima last weekend. She has been racing in Lima the past month to prepare for the race. Her bike was donated to her after one of the PAC Tour events in Peru in 2008.

Each year during our tours to Peru we bring about 200 items that have been donated during the year by PAC Tour members. Jerseys, shorts, helmets, shoes, and assorted bike parts are always useful.

The following is a rough English translation from the press release of the race organizer.


Alessandra Dávila Rodriguez, of 23 years, from the jungle region of Iquitos snatched the first place from the current national champion from Lima. Alessandra won the road race by 2 kilometers. What a thrill it was for the people who understand this sport to see this cycling prodigy pedal her way to this win.

Last week the Sports Panel reported that Alessandra had earned the number one national women’s cycling ranking organized by the Sports Confederacy Peruvian of Cycling when she won the Cycling Opening Cup.

"I am going to be the best of Latin America and a pride of the Amazon Region and Peru" Alessandra said after the race.

Alessandra’s 15 year old sister Samantha and Doctor Dustin Dinis also from the Amazon Region won their races in Lima. The Sports Panel commended the riders from the jungle for their accomplishments despite coming from the land of continual rain and only 55 miles of roads within 300 miles of their city of Iquitos. The riders from the Amazon do not have the available equipment and many of them are racing on scavenged bikes and parts.

(Alessandra and Samantha are using bikes donated by PAC Tour riders two years ago).

Their arduous daily training daily in the seasonal rain, and with a lot of discipline, are giving their fruits.

Alessandra and Samantha are being coached by Efrain Abdallah who has coached the Columbians at the Pan American Games and the Olympics. Mr. Abdallah says of his Amazon pupils "At present Alessandra the best in the Women’s Elite Category and therefore I assure that she will give a medal to Peru. It surprises me the discipline and sacrifice of Alessandra. She does not have a rival in Peru. Her sister Samantha does not have rival in the category Junior”.

The next competition organized by the Federation of Cycling is the return to Huacama during the 23 and 24 of April. Coach Abdallah says "One must defeat them to all to be considered the best. Alessandra can surpass all the South American competition. The pride of the Amazon now only lacks the support of the authorities and of the private enterprises so that she can compete during all the year without objection”.

END