Reed-thin winner rider to watch

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Ronda race director Ric Rodriguez likes to make a joke about Boots Ryan Cayubit being thin as a lizard and yet has the power that could make the country’s best sprinters nervous.

After topping the three-stage Visayas qualifying leg of the Ronda Pilipinas 2015 presented by LBC, Cayubit proved Rodriguez right.

“He’s a person who has an excellent mountain-climbing skill because of his small frame but also has the ability and power in the flat lands despite his reed-thin body,” said Rodriguez of Cayubit.

“This a scary combination, we’re probably looking at a potential Ronda Pilipinas champion here in the future,” he added.

Truly, the 23-year-old Cayubit impressed both in sprint and in the ascents.

After a solid fifth place in the Dumaguete-Sipalay Stage One last Wednesday, Cayubit finished second behind 7-Eleven teammate Marcelo Felipe in the mountainous Bacolod-San Carlos-Bacolod Stage Two the next day.

It was an impressive ride for the Caloocan City native as he turned a nine-minute deficit to Felipe to just two and half in Stage Two considered as the toughest this year because of the steep and long ascents in the mountains of Don Salvador Benedicto.

In the flat terrain of the Bacolod-Cadiz-Bacolod Stage Three, Cayubit impressed again as he checked in fifth behind a slew of sprint specialists headed by stage winner Mark Julius Bonzo.

At the end of the race, Cayubit ended up with his first ever race victory and the sprint king plum on the side.

“I was just happy to be given a chance by 7-Eleven for training me and helping to be the rider I am today,” said Cayubit, who also thanked 7-Eleven big boss Vic Paterno and manager Bong Sual, in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Ronda heads North for the two-stage Luzon qualifying leg tomorrow and Tuesday in Tarlac and Antipolo City, respectively.

A total of 40 cyclists including Cayubit emerged from the three-stage Visayas qualifier advanced to the main event set Feb. 22-27 from Paseo Greenfield City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to mountaintop Baguio City.

Marcelo Felipe, Team Cebu’s Rey Martin, Army’s Irish Valenzuela, 7-Eleven’s Baler Ravina and Cris Joven, Leonel Dimaano, LBC’s Junrey Navarra and Army’s Alvin Benosa rounded up the top 10.

Stage winners Jaybop Pagnanawon and Bonzo along with Denver Casayuran, Reynaldo Navarro, Oscar Rindole, Merculio Ramos Jr., John Rene Mier, Tots Oledan, Nino Surban, Dominic Perez, Marvin Tapic and Ronnel Hualda were some of the notable riders who qualified. Among the rookies were Kenneth Solis, Jhunvie Pagnanawon, Daniel Ven Carino and Cesar Lapaza Jr.