All-Navy clash shapes up

TARLAC CITY , Philippines – Standard Insurance-Navy riders are crowded on top halfway through the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race, hinting at an all-Navy clash at the end of the 10-day cycling tour.

The fierce battle among them may start in Stage Six today where the Ronda cast is to be flagged off in front of the provincial capitol here for a Tarlac-to-Tarlac ride, with George Oconer in the lead followed by six Navy teammates.

The Standard-Navy riders do believe it’s now a battle among them.

“There’s little nervousness now since the first to the sixth riders are from Standard and all of them are capable climbers and they have a big lead,” said Navy skipper and two-time champ Jan Paul Morales in Filipino.

The 34-year-old Morales was referring to Oconer, 2018 Ronda king Ronald Oranza, Ronald Lomotos, John Mark Camingao, Junrey Navarra and El Joshua Carino, who zoomed to the top of the individual general classification race after a runaway finish as a group in the Lucena-Antipolo Stage Five Thursday.

Then came the welcome breather yesterday that could refresh everyone.

The dominant Stage Five effort also widened Standard’s lead in the team race in this cycling spectacle presented by LBC and supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation.

Oconer leads the way with an aggregate clocking of 17 hours, 43 minutes and 13 seconds followed by Oranza (7:55:28), Lomotos (17:55:31), Camingao (17:56:06), Navarra (17:56:30) and Carino (17:58:04).

Former LBC red jersey holder Mark Julius Bordeos of Bicycology-Army (17:59:27), Rustom Lim of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines (17:59:33), Jonel Carcueva (17:59:41) and Ismael Grospe Jr. (18:00:01) of Go for Gold round out the top 10.

There is a chance Oconer, 28, can finally go all the way after years of failed attempts.

Oconer has always been a perennial contender but never a winner. His best year came in 2015 when he finished second behind eventual winner Santy Barnachea, who now rides for Scratch It.

“It’s too early to say I can, but I will give it my best to win it this year,” said Oconer, whose father Norberto is a former two-time Olympian.

All surviving 75 riders out of the original 88 were one in saying the dreaded Palayan-Baguio Stage Eight on Monday would make or break their bids.

“Baguio is the toughest stage, anything can happen there,” said Morales, ruling himself out title contention, though, after sacrificing his bid in Stage Five to ease the way for Oconer and the rest.

“I was with them at the start of Stage Five but decided to hold back to muddle the peloton thinking I could still catch up. Unfortunately, I couldn’t,” he said. “I hope I could barge into the top 10.”

Oconer will wear the LBC red jersey for the first time in today’s 111.9km Stage Six in this event backed by Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, Spyder, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX-SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.