Morales out to protect Ronda lead

STA. ROSA, Laguna, Philippines – Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance seeks to keep the lead against an emerging force in Go for Gold’s Jonel Carcueva as the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 resumes today with the Stage 9 criterium at the Paseo de Sta. Rosa here.

The 31-year-old Morales finished second behind teammate Jay Lampawog in the Daet-Unisan Stage 8 Friday to grab the lead from another Navyman Rudy Roque with a total time of 28 hours, 55 minutes, 16 seconds.

And Morales, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner of this annual cycling race hopes to keep the red LBC jersey in today’s 50-km lap that will circle around Paseo and Nuvali area in exactly an hour plus extra three laps.

“The whole Navy team worked hard to help get to the top and we need to do  that again for me to keep it,” said Morales.