BAGUIO, Philippines – Needing just a fourth place finish to secure the crown, Navy-Standard Insurance’s Jan Paul Morales showed his staying power to the very end to rule the fifth and last stage. capping a triumphant campaign in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 yesterday in the country’s summer capital.
Morales clocked one hour, seven minutes, 16.59 seconds to take Stage Five and capture the Luzon leg crown, the second of his three titles after he also reigned supreme in the Mindanao leg two months ago.
At the end of the five-stage race, Morales amassed 67 general classification points, way ahead of LBC-MVP Sports Foundation’s Rustom Lim and George Oconer, who finished second and third with 49 and 41 points, respectively.
“I just want to make sure I win it that’s why when I got the chance to take Stage Five, I took it,” said Morales.
It was a dominant performance for Morales, who won Stage One at Paseo de Sta. Rosa Manila, Stage Two in Talisay and Tagaytay and the Stage Three in Antipolo City before icing it with a Stage Five win.
After crossing the finish line ahead of everybody, Morales went straight to the loving arms of his wife Leni and his giggling children Janel and Jan Paul Jr.
No tears, no big celebration. Just a simple smile.
“All I want is to win, that’s enough for me,” said Morales, who pocketed P50,000 for topping the leg and an additional P80,000 for his four stage victories apart from the ASG Sprint lead and Petron Local Hero worth P28,000.
Lim, who was just eight points off the pace after conquering the Mountains of Benguet with an impressive Stage Four victory the day before, just didn’t have enough against a criterium specialist like Morales and wound up seventh in 1:09:22.05 to finish second overall.
“I tried but he was just too strong,” said Lim of Morales.
Unreachable at No. 3, Oconer rode safely to a 14th place finish in the Baguio stage.
Rounding up the top 10 overall were Navy’s John Mark Camingao (35), LBC-MVPSF’s Ronald Lomotos (32), Navy’s El Joshua Carino (24), Ronald Oranza (22), Rudy Roque (21) and Lloyd Lucien Reynante (20), and LBC-MVPSF’s Julius Mark Bonzo (19).
Reynante, the seasoned Navy skipper, went home with the Mitsubishi King of the Mountain trophy after he ruled the KOM sprints the day before.
In the executive races, the winners were Aldan James Mendoza of Corratec (under-23), Jermyn Prado of Standard Insurance (women), Vernon Amaranto of Excellent Noodles (Master A), and Ysmael Gendrano of Excellent Noodles (Master B).
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.