Lim rules Ronda’s Stage 4, closes in on Morales

BAGUIO, Philippines – LBC-MVP Sports Foundation’s Rustom Lim conquered the mountains of Benguet and claimed the Stage Four win yesterday here, to threaten  leader Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance heading to the final criterium set today also at the Burnham Park.

Lim, 24, flashed superb climbing skills and swept past the early breakaway tandem of Navymen El Joshua Carino and Lloyd Lucien Reynante to seize top honors in two hours, 48 minutes, 16.99 seconds in the penultimate stage that kicked off down in Dagupan and ended at this cool, mountain-top resort.

Carino settled for second in 2:49:43.84 while Reynante, the Navy skipper, checked in at third in 2:49:45.78.

Morales, the Mindanao leg champion who swept the first three stages of the Luzon swing and posted a 16-point lead over Lim before the race, struggled to finish fifth in 2:51:54.46 but kept an eight-point lead going to today’s 2.70-km closing criterium.

“I think I’m too far ahead and the criterium is my specialty,” said the 30-year-old Morales, who will only need a fourth place finish to formalize his claim on this year’s crown.

But Lim remains hopeful of pulling it off.

“There’s still hope,” said Lim, who nailed his first victory in Baguio after finishing second to former teammate Junrey Navarra, who won here thrice but opted to skip this year’s edition.

“I did my best to catch up with Carino and Reynante. When I did, I made my move and they just let me leave them,” said Lim, who also thanked his teammates for their help in his pursuit for stage honors.

The win, worth 15 points, moved the 22-year-old Lim to second overall with 44 points while cutting Morales’ lead to eight heading to the fifth and final stage.

Or he could just stick with Lim like a leech to claim it.

“I’ll probably just hang on with him,” said Morales of Lim.

Stage winner earns 15 points, second 13, third 11 and fourth nine.

While Lim has refused to concede, Oconer, who fell from second to third with 40 points after finishing fourth yesterday, has given up hopes for a reversal.

“It’s hard to beat him (Morales), we’ll probably just try to go for stage honors,” said the 24-year-old Oconer.

Reynante and Carino headed the eight-man breakaway group then took control at Kennon. But after securing a 1-2 finish in the King of the Mountain race, they slowed down, enabling a charging Lim to seize control en route to victory.

Navymen John Mark Camingao and Carino stood at Nos. 4 and 5 with 31 and 23 points, respectively, followed by LBC-MVPSF’s Ronald Lomotos (21), Reynante (19), Navy’s Joel Calderon (16), LBC-MVPSF’s Ronnilan Quita (15) and Navy’s Rudy Roque (14).

In the executive races, Romeo Camingao of Excellent Noodles (Master B Category), Raymond Pascual of Aboitiz Power (Under-23), Jermin Prado of Standard Insurance (women), Alfredo Vellila of JAC Motors (Manager’s category) and Resty Aragon of Excellent Noodles topped their respective divisions.

The event, organized by LBC Express, is sanctioned by PhilCycling and sponsored by Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation, Petron and Versa Radio-Tech 1 Corp. with Maynilad and NLEX as minor sponsors.