Mark John Lexar Galedo and Laura Nadeau claimed victory at the 2018 Tour of Guam, Sunday December 9, with the race the final stop on the 2018 Oceania Cycling Confederation Pacific Open Road and Mountain Bike Calendar.

119 riders from eight countries across Oceania, Asia and the America’s embraced the early 6:15AM start to tackle the ninth edition of Guam’s national tour, with two former men’s winners Galedo and Peter Lombard and two former women’s winners Nadeau and five time champion Mieko Carey on the start line.

The race remained together until the first big climb up Pago Bay hill with six riders breaking away before Galedo exerted his dominance and made a solo move. Rising star and under 19 winner Jonathan Beauchamp attempted to follow, though Galedo’s strength and experience proved too much for the promising junior.

Soloing to the win Galedo took more than five minutes off his course record from a year ago to cement himself as the dominant force in the race for another year. Women’s Champion Nadeau, a leading triathlete in Guam, was part of the chasing group for much of the race before finishing fifth across the line.

Guam Cycling Federation President and Oceania Cycling Confederation Vice President Eric Tydingco was pleased with the international field participating in the race. “As an event that is sponsored by the Guam Visitors Bureau, it is important that we draw in traveling athletes to compete – whether as an elite rider or simply as a participant.

“Mark Galedo from the Philippines, is a great addition for our top riders as they can gauge the calibre that is part of the competitive international cycling circuit without the expense of traveling abroad for competition.

“We’ve had excellent high-level racers here from Japan and Korea in the past, and we hope that we can get more coming to Guam for this race,” Tydingco added.

Galedo and Nadeau are no stranger to standing on the top step of the podium at the Tour of Guam with Galedo having claimed the last three editions and Nadeau a back to back winner.

“For the race, and for those that follow the event it hopefully becomes a familiar name in conversation. Anticipation for others wishing to challenge for the title start to take shape especially for Galedo, whose dominance here on Guam is one thing, but in his home country of the Philippines – might be a different story.

“Who knows, maybe we get more of his fellow countrymen wanting to challenge him here in Guam.”

Details of the 2019 Oceania Cycling Confederation Pacific Open Road and Mountain Bike Calendar will be announced in early 2019.

2018 Tour of Guam Men’s Podium
1 Mark John Lexer Galedo
2 Dan Aponik
3 Jake Gimoto

2018 Tour of Guam Women’s Podium
1 Laura Nadeau
2 Mieko Carey
3 Tiffany Blair

Full Results