VIGAN, Ilocos Sur, Philippines – The LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 fires off today at the Provincial Capitol here with Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance seeking to score a repeat and a slew of challengers out to foil his back-to-back title drive.
“I’m ready. I prepared hard for this and I know I have a chance to win it again,” said the 31-year-old Morales. “But compared to last year, I expect to face tougher opposition this year.”
They include Army-Kinetix Lab’s Cris Joven, a consistent Top 5 finisher, and Bike Extreme’s Jaybop Pagnanawon, who also hopes to finally nail the big one and make his father, a former Tour champion, proud.
“I see so many contenders this year, a combination of familiar faces and talented new riders,” said Navy skipper Lloyd Reynante.
“I’m ready physically and mentally and I have a solid and very experienced team,” said Joven, who will be backstopped by Alfie Catalan, Alvin Benosa, Marvin Tapic, Mark Julius Bordeos, Lord Anthony del Rosario, Ronnilan Quita, Marvin Tapic and Reynaldo Navarro.
“It’s my dream because I want to make my father proud,” said Pagnanawon referring to Rolando, who won the fabled tour in 1986.
While Joven boasts of a veteran squad, Pagnanawon will be backed by a slew of young guns, including brother Junvie, cousin Jetley, James Ferfas, Arjay Kaul, Michael Ochoa and Alvin Mandi.
Interestingly, Julius Bonzo, whose father Romeo and uncle Modesto topped the Tour in separate years, is also part of Bike Extreme.
Stage One which fires off at 8 a.m. takes riders to Laoag, through the famous Paoay Church before returning to Vigan.
LBC Ronda project director Moe Chulani said the race will be dedicated to Ronda chief judge Atty. Froilan Dayco’s father Francisco, who passed away recently.
The winner will receive P1 million courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Partas, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management.
The other teams seeing action are Ilocus Sur, Mindanao Sultan Kudarat, Iloilo, NCR RC Cola, Tarlac, Neopolitan, South Luzon and Zambales.
The main race will resume on Feb. 8 with the Stage Two criterium in Vigan to Angeles, then to Subic (Feb. 9), Lucena, Quezon (Feb. 12), Pili, Camarines Norte (Feb. 14 and 16), Daet (Feb. 17), Paseo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (Feb. 19), Tagaytay and Batangas (Feb. 20), Calamba and Antipolo (Feb. 21) before wrapping up with a pair of stages in Iloilo City (March 2, 3 and 4).