Cycling's toughest riders bag slots in LBC Ronda

MANILA, Philippines - The biggest names in Philippine cycling made their mark in a show of skill and sprinting prowess as they grabbed the first 15 slots in the 90-man, 15-team LBC Ronda Pilipinas after the first elimination races Friday on the flat roads of Tarlac.

Tour veteran Baler Ravina blitzed past his rivals in the final breakaway and zoomed home to a triumphant finish on a 150.7 km route that started and ended along the Romulo Highway beside the Tarlac provincial capitol.

The 29-year-old from Asingan, Pangasinan crossed the finish line in four hours, 14 minutes, 16 seconds, 2.5 seconds in front of Novo Ecijano Oscar Rindole (4:14:18.5).

The top 15, from a starting field of over 100 riders, will be assigned to three Luzon teams according to their place of birth or residence.

The Visayas regional elimination will be held May 12 in Silay City, Negros Occidental while Malaybalay, Bukidnon will host the Mindanao qualifying round May 15.

For details, log on to www.facebook.com/rondapilipinas  or email [email protected] or mobile. no. 09198967554.

LBC Express Inc. chief operating officer Dino Araneta fired the starting gun for the first of three elimination races of the P7M LBC Ronda Pilipinas, a 20-day, 12-stage, 1,650 km tour of key cities of the country’s three major islands slated September to October.

Ravina, best known for ruling the Baguio-to-Baguio stage of the 2009 Padyak Pinoy, will head Team East Pangasinan, which includes Ferdinand Pablo who clocked 4:14.21, Salvador Salvador (4:14:26.4), Jesus Garcia (4:16:26.1) and Juancho Callorina (4:16:26.3).

Rindole heads the Nueva Ecija team which boasts of a hard core of past and present champions in Alfredo Asuncion (4:16:16.7), Nicardo Guanzon (4:16:16.8), Joel Calderon (4:16:16.9), Rey Martin (4:16:16.9) and Jay Tolentino (4:32:36).

West and Central Pangasinan will also have a formidable team composed of Renato Sembrano (4:19:02), former Marlboro Tour champion Arnel Quirimit (4:19:05), Julius Mark Bonzo (4:20:19.4), Ericson Obosa (4:20:37.6) and Serwin Carrera (4:35:13).