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Philstar.com
February 9, 2025 | 12:03pm
David Lappartient and Abraham Tolentino.
(POC photo)
MANILA, Philippines -- Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and David Lappartient — both presidents of their respective national Olympic committee (NOC) and cycling federation — met in Harbin on Friday and discussed significant topics bordering on their sport and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“From a casual conversation — hellos and how are you? — to the more significant topics concerning cycling and the forthcoming IOC presidential elections,” said Tolentino, president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee and PhilCycling, from China during the opening ceremony of the Harbin Ninth Asian Winter Games.
“As an active national federation of the UCI [International Cycling Union, which Lappartient heads as president], Dave [Lappartient] conscientiously asked about cycling in the Philippines and expressed full support to our track program,” Tolentino said. “He was just too happy to learn that an indoor UCI-standard velodrome in Tagaytay City will be operational in a few months.”
A velodrome is being built in Tagaytay City, where Tolentino is the mayor, and is expected to be operational by the middle of the year — the facility replaces the concrete and outdoor Amoranto Velodrome which the Quezon City government reportedly intends to demolish to give way to a football field.
“Dave also got serious about the IOC elections in March, stressing on his program for the world’s top sporting organization,” Tolentino said.
Lappartient, who heads France’s NOC, is one of seven candidates vying for the position that Thomas Bach will vacate after 12 years — the election is on March 21 in Olympia, Greece.
“We’re hoping and praying for Dave to win that election, and I personally believe he’s the most capable to lead the Olympic movement,” Tolentino said.
Lappartient traces his serious involvement with cycling to the Philippines when in 1995, he was a young member of the commissaires panel that supervised the country’s hosting of the Asian road and track championships at Amoranto and Subic.
He flew into Harbin from Bangkok where he witnessed the elections of the Asian Cycling Confederation last Thursday.
