Ronda resumes in Lucena

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – Navy-Standard Insurance’s Rudy Roque and Jan Paul Morales try to hold on to the lead even as Kinetix Lab-Army Cris Joven seeks to close the gap as the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 resumes today with Stage Five unfurling here and concluding at the Camsur Watersports Complex in Pili.

Roque has been at the helm since Stage One while Morales, the defending champion, has bounced back from a lethargic opening day with three straight podium finishes highlighted by lap victories in Stage Two in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Stage Three in Subic Bay.

Joven  has languished outside the top 10 but zoomed to ninth after ruling Stage Four in Subic.

After four stages, Roque, 25, is on top with an aggregate time of 11 hours, 12 minutes, 15 seconds while Morales, 31, is right behind  with 11:13:45.

Joven, 30, has made steady progress and is now four and a half minutes off the pace with 11:13:45.

Joven knows being a native of Iriga City, Camarines Sur should help in the today’s stage.

“I hope to get another good perormance so I can make my fellow Bicolanos proud,” said Joven, whose best performance here came in 2012 when he wound up fourth.

Morales  is more concerned of the route as he and the surviving 88 of the 96 riders will negotiate the 251-km stage, the longest lap in the annual race.

Navy’s Ronald Lomotos is at No. 3 with  11:14:33 while Ilocos Sur’s Ryan Serapio at No. 4 with 11:16:07, thanks to his recent podium finish in Stage Four.

Completing the top 10 are Navy’s Jay Lampawog (11:16:12), Kinetix Lab-Army’s Reynaldo Navarro (11:16:21), Go for Gold’s Joshua Mari Bonifacio (11:16:28), Navy’s Daniel Ven Carino (11:16:35) and Go for Gold’s Ismael Grospe, Jr. (11:17:43).