By MARK REY MONTEJO
SAN MATEO, Rizal – From helping his parents harvest corn and bananas to chasing glory on the national cycling stage.
That’s a story worth telling many times over as unheralded Quinn Legria Moñasque finally reaped the rewards of his perseverance and hard work.
Out to prove a point while carrying the hopes of giving his family a better life, the 27-year-old Moñasque brushed off the pressure of a being a rookie to stun seasoned rivals in the 2026 7-Eleven Trail Series Cross-Country Marathon at the lung-bustling tracks of Timberland Heights Sunday, March 8.
With the weather shifting from gentle breeze to scorching heat in mid-afternoon, Moñasque kicked to high gear midway of the 40-kilometer cross-country marathon to clinch the gold medal in the 10th anniversary of the meet.
The pride of General Santos City clocked1 hour, 54 minutes, and 35 seconds to beat Go For Gold bets in Adrian Nacario (1:54:36) and last year’s bridesmaid James Carl Dela Cruz (1:54:37), who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.
“‘Di ko po in-expect na manalo po ako rito, kasi first time ko lang mag-trail, talagang pinagbutihan ko lang, kasi gusto ko rin patunayan sa sarili ko na kaya ko,” said Moñasque, who fell short in last week’s PhilCycling events in Tagaytay City.
“Buti nalang nanalo ako, kasi wala na akong allowance eh,” he quipped as Moñasque planned to stay for a while in Manila after he and his team decided to join in this year’s Tour of Luzon next month.
Reigning three-peat champion Emmanuel Dave Montemayor failed to retain his crown after his bike broke down almost midway of the race, resulting in the Bulacan cyclist to be listed as Did Not Finish (DNF).
Jose Victor Paterno, chairman of the Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), graced the meet by also joining in the track.
