Azkals host Fiji tonight

From Left to Right: Phil Younghusband, Thomas Dooley, Christophe Gamel, Roy Krishna

The Philippines kicks off its quest to make it to the AFC Asian Cup with a friendly.

The Azkals will be facing off against Fiji in what would be a dress rehearsal for the actual qualifier against Tajikistan early next week.

Head coach Thomas Dooley is looking at getting the team ready for the major task ahead, having a training camp a few days before and playing this friendly against the 168th-ranked nation.

Morale in the Azkals camp is good, with team skipper Phil Younghusband noting that "Everyone's spirit is on a high."

Michael Falkesgaard is slated to make his national team debut, with Dooley expecting him to play a half in this match. Thomas also said that Javier Patino's status remains up in the air, as this would be his first match since injuring his knee.

Kickoff is slated at 730pm, with live telecast slated on LIGA.

Youngsters hold their own against Veterans in The Battle of Legends

Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna beat International Master Barlo Nadera to cap the Young Rising Stars' 8-4 win over the Veterans after six rounds of "The Battle of Legends." inside the PACE office in Mindanao Ave., Quezon City.

Also anchoring wins for the Young Rising Stars is 2017 ASEAN Age Group Championship U-14 titlist and 2018 Kidapawan Open champion Daniel Quizon, who defeated IM Chito Garma, while also supplying wins are Shania Mae Mendoza, Mikee Charlene Suede, Christy Lemiel Bernales, John Meril Jacutina, and Michael Concio.

John Marvin Miciano and Chester Neil Reyes drew with IM Ronald Bancod and FIDE Master Adrian Pacis, respectively, while delivering the wins for the veterans are Edmundo Gatus, Efren Bagamasbad, and Elias Lao, Jr.

After six rounds of two standard and four rapid games, the Young Rising Stars have a 107-85 lead over the Veterans, but there are still eight blitz games yet to be completed.

Organized by Chess Events Internacionale, The Battle of Legends is sanctioned by the Butch Pichay-led National Chess Federation of the Philippines, and is part of the preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia this coming September, and for the ASEAN Age Group Championships that will be held in Davao in June.

Oranza optimistic on prospect of title defense

Ronald Oranza of Navy-Standard Insurance raises his P1 million check for topping the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC during the awarding ceremony at The Tent in Filinvest, Alabang Sunday night.
Looking at left was runner-up Jan Paul Morales (right) and second runner-up Junrey Navarra, both from Navy.

Fresh from clinching Ronda Pilipinas, Ronald Oranza is already focused on defending his newly-acquired title.

The Villasis native shares in Filipino, "We will try to win it again next year, we will give it our best to make it happen."

He dominated the twelve-stage tour with a time of 34 hours, eleven minutes, and 23 seconds, finishing on the podium on nine of the stages and winning three of them, taking the lead after Stage 2 and never looked back. Runner-up and former champion Jan Paul Morales finished eleven minutes behind. By winning the race, Ronald received PhP 1 million in cash as well as a Boy Kanin franchise worth PhP 300,000 and a Quin Baterna-designed trophy. He also will receive a share of the PhP 150,000 that Navy-Standard Insurance copped in topping the team event.

Oranza shares that they will take a two-week break before resuming training in line with their racing schedule. Among the events they are slated to participate are the Philippine National Games in Cebu next month and the Le Tour in May. In addition, they are to participate in competitions overseas.

Ronda Pilipinas Executive Project Director Moe Chulani says that Dino Araneta is looking at next year's tour taking place down south in Visayas and Mindanao. In fact, Davao is set to open next year's Tour.

This year's edition of Ronda Pilipinas was presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Dan Palami seeks fan support for upcoming Azkals matches

Dan Palami

With the upcoming friendly against Fiji and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Tajikistan coming in the next few days, Senior Men's National Team Manager Dan Palami is asking Filipino fans to support the Azkals in these matches.

According to Palami, "This is an important match for the country, and the cards are not exactly stacked against us. We are currently on top of the table of Group F with 9 points. We win or we draw, we will move forward and the country will be part of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time."

He continues, "We want the ‘12th man’ to be there in both the tune-up game and the Asian Cup qualifier match.  This sport deserves all the support it can get, as we have already gone far, since 2010, when I took over as Team Manager of Azkals."

Palami adds, "We should also be proud of our national team players who are doing well internationally in their various clubs. Such as Neil Etheridge, currently with Cardiff City, and all other previous PFL club players, who are doing well and are now playing for neighboring Asian countries, such as Ian Ramsay, who is currently with Felda United and Misagh Bahadoran, who is with Perak FA… And maybe this is the only way that the country or the youth can see, that aspiring for an international football career is not that impossible."

The friendly against Fiji on March 22 is to get the team ready for the Qualifier against Tajikistan on March 27, with a berth in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates on the line.

Tickets for both matches are available either through SM Tickets or through the gate at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. The match will be shown LIVE on Liga.

Ronald Oranza rules Ronda Pilipinas

Your 2018 Ronda Pilipinas champion, Ronald Oranza

Ronda Oranza's reign in Ronda Pilipinas has officially begun.

The Villasis native topped the 2018 edition of the tour in front of a sizeable crowd at Filinvest Alabang earlier today, finishing in second place behind the former two-time champion Jan Paul Morales.

Completing the all-Navy Standard Insurance podium is Junrey Navarra, with all three cyclists clocking in at one hour, 28 minutes, and fifteen seconds.

Oranza topped the twelve-stage tour with an aggregate time of 34:11:23. Morales ended up about eleven minutes slower than his teammate.

The former champion will not come home empty handed, as he secured the Petron Sprint King nod.

Navarra, on the other hand, was officially crowned with his fourth CCN King of the Mountain title, alongside his third place finish in the tour.

The trio allowed Navy-Standard Insurance to romp away with the Versa team classification with an aggregate time of 135:13:47. Army-Bicycology finished in the runner-up spot at 136:56:19, ahead of Go for Gold Developmental and their 136:59:26

The only winner among the special awardees that was not from Navy-Standard Insurance was Jay Lampawog, as the Go for Gold Developmental cyclist was named the MVP Sports Foundation Best Young Rider with his ninth place finish.

The other riders in the top ten are:

4th: George Oconer (Go for Gold) 34:38:15
5th: John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 34:39:30
6th: Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 34:41:21
7th: Boots Ryan Calubit (Go for Gold) 34:43:50
8th: El Joshua Carino (Navy-Standard Insurance) 34:45:32
10th: Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 34:49:52

Oranza was joined in the celebration by the crowd that included Ronda Pilipinas Executive Project Director Moe Chulani and Standard Insurance President Ernesto Echauz. He will receive a million pesos, as well as a Boy Kanin franchise worth PhP 300,000. He will also receive a trophy.

The 2018 edition of the Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Oranza at cusp of Ronda title

Ronald Oranza's imminent ascent to cycling greatness is almost assured, with his second place finish in Stage 11 that started and ended in Calaca, Batangas earlier today.

He finished the stage and clinched his eighth podium finish in 2:28:13, just behind teammate Junrey Navara, who clinched back-to-back stage victories. With his aggregate time of 32:43:13, it virtually seals his first Ronda Pilipinas title, turning the final Stage 12 criterium at Filinvest Alabang into a victory circuit.

The Private 1st Class from Villasis shares, "I can feel it now, it has started to sink in." He adds, "I guess this is the product of our training here and abroad." His best finish had been finishing runner-up to current champion Morales two years ago and third place in 2013.

In claiming the stage, Navara officially clinched his fourth King of the Mountain title, and also moved up a couple of spots to make it a 1-2-3 for Navy-Standard Insurance in the overall classification behind Oranza and Morales. He acknowledged that the mountain climbing portion of the tour is one of his favorites.

Morales will be content with runner-up finishes in both KOTM and in the overall classification. He also will snap up the Petron Sprint King title with 104 points.

The other contenders in the overall classification are as follows:

4th: George Oconer (Go for Gold) 33:10:00
5th: Jhon Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 33:10:53
6th: Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 33:13:06
7th: Boots Ryan Cayubit (Go for Gold) 33:15:35
8th: El Joshua Carino (Navy-Standard Insurance) 33:17:05
9th: Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental) 33:19:48
10th: Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 33:21:37

With six riders in the top ten of the overall classification, Navy-Standard Insurance is lapping the field in the team classification, leading Army-Bicycology and Go for Gold Developmental.

Oranza is set to claim the top purse worth P1 million and the P300,000 worth of Boy Kanin franchise in this race presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Arellano defends NCAA Cheerleading title

Arellano University pulled off a near-flawless performance in successfully defending its NCAA Cheerleading title this afternoon at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Represented by the AU Chiefsquad, they fended off the Perpsquad of University of Perpetual Help-System Dalta with an aggregate score of 234.5 compared to 226.

The Chiefsquad utilized a clean and beautiful dance routine peppered with difficult pyramids and stunts that gained the attention of the judges.

The Perpsquad likewise impressed the crowd, but they missed on a pyramid attempt that gave Arellano their third cheerleading title overall.

According to Arellano head coach Lucky San Juan, "This is the product of the team’s hardwork and we dedicate the victory to the whole Arellano U community and our school officials who have supported us through thick and thin.

As for Perpetual, head coach Ruf Rosario was proud of what the team accomplished, even though they fell short in their quest for a tenth title. Rosario shares, "That’s life, you win some, you lose some. I’m still proud of the whole team and we will come back strong next season."

Completing the podium finishers is the San Beda Red Corps, with their total of 193.5 points. It was an improvement over their previous best-ever finish of fourth place last season.

The success of the Red Corps capped off an impressive afternoon for the Red Lions, as they were officially bestown the overall championship in both the Seniors and Juniors division, with the NCAA Management Committee and the NCAA Policy Board presenting the trophy to the different champions of each sporting discipline.

In addition, the league conducted its closing ceremonies, with current hosts San Sebastian awarding next season's hosting duties to Perpetual Help.

Navy-Standard Insurance continues Ronda dominance

Ronda Pilipinas Stage 10

Navy-Standard Insurance continues their dominance in the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas, with Junrey Navara claiming the 147.8km Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 earlier today.

Starting off at the Tagaytay Convention Center and concluding at the Calaca Municipal Hall, Junrey finished with a time of 3:21:47, a second faster than Boots Ryan Cayubit of Go for Gold.

Current overall leader Ronald Oranza finished in third place at three hours and 26.02 minutes, outlasting a group of thirteen riders for his seventh podium finish. He now has an aggregate time of 30:15:03, toting a twenty-minute advantage of defending champion and teammate Jan Paul Morales and his time of 30:35:18.

Even with that advantage, the Villasis native is not yet celebrating, with Stage 11 still to take place tomorrow. At 92.72 kilometers, it is a smaller scale version of today's stage.

Navara claimed the stage with ease, managing the mountain passes in Ticub and Payapa, breaking away from a four-cyclist pack that also included Cayubit, Oranza, and Cris Joven.

Claiming the stage victory made up for the woes of yesterday for Junrey, when he faded away after leading for the first hundred kilometers. He shares in Filipino, "I really pushed myself today because I made a mistake yesterday. That’s why I made sure this time that’s why I attack when I needed to."

He has now moved up a spot on both the King of the Mountain and in the overall classification. He now leads the former by fourteen points against current Ronda champion Jan Paul Morales, while dislodging Joven from fifth place in the latter with his aggregate time of 30:36:32. That is a two-minute advantage over the Army-Bicycology skipper.

The rest of the contenders are as follows:

3rd: George Oconer (Go for Gold) 30:35:18
4th: John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 30:36:11
7th: El Joshua Carino (Navy-Standard Insurance) 30:42:23
8th: Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental) 30:45:06
9th: Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 30:46:55

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Ronda Pilipinas resumes tomorrow

Ronald Oranza

Current Ronda Pilipinas leader Ronald Oranza hopes to retain his lead when the tour resumes tomorrow morning with Stage 9, a trek of just over two hundred kilometers that starts at the Silang Municipal Hall and ends at the Tagaytay Convention Center.

In between, the cyclists will have to deal with four climbs from Kaybiang Tunnel as well as the steep passes of Leynes in Talisay, Batangas.

With a seven-minute lead over his rivals, Oranza believes that he needs to be cautious if he has hopes of holding on to the symbolic red jersey. He says in Filipino, "I need to be extra careful because anything can happen in the next few stages."

Defending champion Jan Paul Morales is in second place, and has already committed to ensuring his Navy-Standard Insurance teammate holds on to the lead. Morales shares, "If I can’t win it this year, I want the winner to be a Navyman so I don’t mind if Oranza wins it. He has a big lead and we will do our best to just protect it."

Completing the top ten in the overall individual standings are the following cyclists:

3rd: Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental) 21:19:31
4th: Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 21:20:02
5th: John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:20:24
6th: George Oconer (Go for Gold) 21:20:51
7th: Ronnel Hualda (Go for Gold Developmental) 21:21:29
8th: Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:21:42
9th: Irish Valenzuela (CCN Superteam) 21:22:04
10th: Junrey Navara (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:22:08

With five cyclists in the top ten, it's surprise that Navy-Standard Insurance is lording over the field in the team classification, toting an aggregate time of 82:19:52, just over half an hour quicker than Go for Gold Developmental's 82:52:24.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

5th Slam Rising Stars Classic set this Sunday

Coming this Sunday

The fifth edition of the SLAM Rising Stars Classic takes place this weekend, as the best high school ballers in the land get to strut their stuff in an exhibition game at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.

Teaming up and leading the way for Team Hype are the UAAP and NCAA HS Most Valuable Players CJ Cansino (UST) and Will Gozum (Mapua/Malayan).

Gozum says, "I expect good competition kasi sobrang selected sa iba’t-ibang school na the best talaga, so pride paglalabanan. Underdog lahat, magkakasing-level, wala ‘yung mamaliitin mo. Dapat talaga go hard lahat kasi for you ayaw mong maii-score-an ng iba." Already committed to play collegiate ball for the University of the Philippines, he shares that playing in this game allows him the chance to partially make up from losing in the NCAA Finals this past season.

Cansino adds, "Expectation ko siyempre magiging competitive lahat kasi siyempre selection ng best high school players, so hindi magiging madali ‘yung SLAM [Rising Stars Classic] kasi it’s about pride para sa akin." The UST commit also shares, "Gusto ko ma-achieve siyempre una ay manalo and sana makuha ko din ang MVP."

Completing the cast of ballers for Team Hype are Harvey Pagsanjan (Hope Christian), Raven Cortez (La Salle-Zobel), Inand Fornillos (La Salle-Greenhills), Neil Tolentino (Letran), John Galinato (Chiang Kai Shek), L-Jay Gonzales (FEU-Diliman), Terrence Fortea (Nazareth-NU), Mac Guadana (Lyceum), and the Ateneo trio of Joaqui Manuel, Jason Credo, and SJ Belangel.

As for Team Punks, they are backstopped by the Finals MVPs of the UAAP and NCAA in Kai Sotto of Ateneo and Joel Cagulangan of La Salle- Greenhills. The other members of Team Punks are Rhayyan Amsali (Nazareth-NU), Jason Celis (Chiang Kai Shek), RJ Abarrientos (FEU-Diliman), Vincent Cunanan (Lyceum), Clint Escamis and Warren Bonifacio (Mapua/Malayan), Jo-em Sabandal (Adamson), Evan Nelle (San Beda), Dave Ildefonso (Ateneo), and Aaron Fermin (Arellano).

For some, it is a chance to meet new teammates who were once adversaries, like what Bonifacio and Sabandal told the media during the press conference last Saturday.

Last year saw Hype defeat Punks, 89-83, with Juan Gomez de Liano being named as the MVP.

ABS-CBN Sports has broadcast rights to this exhibition, which will be shown LIVE on S+A immediately after UAAP volleyball on March 18, with online streaming also available.

Things are about to get real for a new batch of high school basketball players as they go head to head at this year’s SLAM Rising Stars Classic.
To continue their path towards greatness, 25 select high school standouts will battle for pride at the annual exhibition game to be held on March 18 at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong to see how their respective skills match up against the toughest competition.

Globe Telecom taps into football fanbase with beIN SPORTS CONNECT

beIN Sports Connect and Globe

Filipino football fans can now address their football fix thanks to a partnership between two major firms.

Multi-platform media company beIN Asia-Pacific recently announced their partnership with Globe Telecom, with the major end result being the introduction of an online streaming player for football called beIN Sports Connect to the Filipino market.

beIN Sports Connect allows Filipino users to have unparalled access to the football leagues beIN Sports has access to for this region, namely the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League as well as the UEFA Europa League. It also provides access to other prominent football leagues, like France's Ligue 1, Major League Soccer in the United States, Superliga Argentina, Turkish Süper Lig, and Australia's Hyundai A-League.

beIN Asia-Pacific Managing Director Mike Kerr shares, "The Philippines is one of the oldest football nations in Asia and has a great pool of passionate football fans.  With the launch of beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Filipino fans can finally have the ultimate football experience and enjoy unlimited access to their favourite leagues, teams, and players - all in one destination."

Globe Telecom's Senior Vice President for Content Business, Nikko Acosta adds, "Our collaboration with beIN SPORTS CONNECT will allow us to offer more sports content to our customers who love to be in the middle of the action of some of the best football matches in the different leagues. We look forward to bringing the best of football right to their devices, ready to be enjoyed, whenever."

Once the app is downloaded onto one's device and is properly logged in, users would have access to the three beIN channels available in the county, with the additional ability to access additional LIVE matches with the option to pause or even rewind through them. In addition, one can schedule alert reminders. If one has a Chromecast or AirPlay, the option to whip it from a device onto a smart TV would be available.

For further details, one can check out connect-ph.beinsports.com.

Jay Lampawog seeks strong Ronda Pilipinas finish

Looking likely to clinch the MVP Sports Foundation's Best Young Rider title, Jay Lampawog is seeking a strong finish in what he considers a fairy tale run at the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC.

The twenty-year-old cyclist is currently third in the overall individual classification, with his efforts anchoring a newly-establish Go for Gold Developmental team into second place overall in the team classification. He shares in Filipino, "I feel I’m in a dream, I couldn’t believe that I’m up there with the best of Philippine cycling. My goal now is to finish strong and get myself confidence going home."

He has already surpassed former Ronda champions Santy Barnachea and Irish Valenzuela, and is currently ahead of contenders George Oconer, Cris Joven, and Rudy Roque. Only Navy-Standard Insruance cyclists Ronald Oranza and Jan Paul Morales have a quicker time than the Villasis native.

According to his coach, Eds Hualda, he is not surprised with Jay's effort, noting that "The first time we took him in into our team, we knew he is special. So we really expected him to do good this year and if he keeps doing what he’s doing, I think he can also be a Ronda Pilipinas champion someday."

That quest to be a champion is something Lampawog also wants. He shares, "Everyone in cycling wants to be a champion, that’s my dream too."

The tour resumes later this week with Stage Nine's Silang-Batangas-Tagaytay, Stage Ten's Tagaytay-Calaca, and Stage Eleven's Calaca-Calaca, before capping it off with the Stage 12 criterium within Filinvest Alabang.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Arellano completes NCAA Track three-peat

Arellano University secured its three-peat at the final day of the NCAA Season 93 Track and Field tournament this past Monday at the PhilSports Oval in Pasig City.

The Chiefs secured another gold with the 4x400m relay, with its quartet of Christian Milano, Reynaldo Gimoto, Christian Traje and Billy Boy Endrina topping the event with a time of three minutes and 25.05 seconds.

This, alongside its other previous golds secured through Aristeo dela Pena in the long jump and John Carlos Corpuz in the discus throw helped Arellano fend off Mapua and Jose Rizal University. The Chiefs ended up with a total of 802.5 points, while the Cardinals and the Heavy Bombers finished with 640.5 and 370 points, respectively.

This is Arellano's third collegiate crown, after its triumph in women's volleyball and women's badminton. And if you ask its ManCom representative Peter Cayco, they are not yet done. He shares, "We are now reaping the fruits of a reinvigorated program and hopefully, we will go for a four-peat next season."

San Beda ended up on top of the the HS division with 647.5 points. Perpetual would finish second with 561.25, while defending champions Emilio Aguinaldo College finished in third with 522.5 points.

Oranza studies trails in cusp of Ronda finish

Ronda Pilipinas overall leader Ronald Oranza is set to use the next couple of days to study the mountainous terrain in Southern Luzon as he attempts to secure the title.

The Navy-Standard Insurance cyclist has won three of the eight stages so far, as well as being part of the team that claimed the team time trial. He has an overall time of 21:01:56, which is about seven minutes ahead of defending champion Jan Paul Morales. Go for Gold Developmental's Jay Lampawog is in third with a time of 21:19:31

Comprising the top ten overall are these cyclists:

4th. Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 21:20:02
5th. John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:20:24
6th. George Oconer (Go for Gold) 21:20:51
7th. Ronnel Hualda (Go for Gold Developmental) 21:21:29
8th. Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:21:42
9th. Irish Valenzuela (CCN Superteam) 21:22:04
10th. Junrey Navarra (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:22:08

The team is already in Cavite to study the different routes, allowing the cyclists to familiarize themselves with the ascents. According to Oranza in Filipino, "I have to really race smart and be extra cautious to avoid accidents or mechanical problems." He knows that he is close to claiming his inaugural crown, after a couple of podium finishes in his Ronda Pilipinas career, adding, "That is my dream, to become Ronda champion. But I have to finish the race first before I think of anything."

The next three stages are filled with mountain passes, as they snake through Cavite and Batangas this week, before the Ronda Pilipinas concludes with a criterium inside the Filinvest Alabang complex on Sunday.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

PhP 1 million is headed to the overall individual winner.

Kath Arado named as Player of the Week

Kath Arado's defense sparks the University of the East's offense. And her efforts last week got the attention of the different scribes, as she was named as the latest UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week.

In pulling off the 25-23 18-25 28-26 26-24 victory over the University of Santo Tomas last Wednesday, the libero contributed 32 excellent receptions and 28 digs, ensuring back-to-back victories for the Lady Warriors.

Interim head coach Rod Roque praised Arado's heroics, whose cat-quick reflexes and nose for the ball sparked UE's counterattacks against the Tigresses and league leading scorer Sisi Rondina, ensuring their first win against them in the Final Four era and their first back-to-back wins since Season 74.

"Eh No. 1 naman 'yan eh. No 1 'yan sa UAAP, No. 1 'yan sa puso namin." Roque shares about Arado, who is running neck and neck against La Salle's Dawn Macandili as the top libero in the league. He adds, "Kahit na sa practice nga eh, babalagbag 'yan. ‘Kath, okay ka lang ba?’ 'Opo okay pa po ako.' Pero kita mo 'yung pain sa mukha niya nandoon kasi bumalagbag na. Kath, you're No. 1, you're the one."

Arado shares, "Sa akin lang talaga, gusto ko talaga 'yung mabago talaga ang tingin nila sa UE. Noong unang game pa lang namin sa UAAP, 'yun talaga ang nasa isip ko na, ngayon na season na 'to, gusto ko talagang baguhin ang tingin nila sa UE, which is nangyayari naman talaga." She beat out her teammate Mary Anne Mendrez, Kianna Dy of La Salle, Tots Carlos of the University of the Philippines, and Jho Maraguinot of Ateneo.

Mati to host regional chess meet

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines earlier this month revealed that the city of Mati in Davao Oriental will host the Mindanao leg of the 2018 National Age Group Chess Championships later this month.

Set to take place at the Baywalk Hotel on March 23-25, it will serve as a qualifying tournament for the ASEAN Chess Championship, which is scheduled this June at Davao City.

Organized by Chess Events Internationale, the event is subdivided into the following age groups for both boys and girls: Under-20, Under-18, Under-16, Under-14, Under-12, Under-10, and Under-8. Champions in each division will be securing an automatic bid to the ASEAN Chess Championship, with FIDE Master titles and International Master norms are at stake.

In addition, cash prizes and medals will be up for grabs for top ten finishers in each category.

Mati City Mayor Carlo Rabat says of the hosting opportunity, "We are honored to have been given the chance to host this event, which is the very first of its kind to be held here in our city."

Navy-Standard Insurance claims Ronda Team Time Trial

Navy-Standard Insurance claims the victory in the Team Time Trial

Navy Standard Insurance topped Stage Eight Team Time Trial of the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas earlier today, starting off at the Provincial Capitol of Tarlac and ending 42.1 kilometers later at the Tarlac Recreational Park in 56.17 minutes.

They were about three minutes ahead of Go for Gold Developmental, with Army-Bicycology in third place clocking in at 1:00:10.

Their dominance was not without a little bit of hardship. Already down a cyclist with Ronald Lomotos being disqualified yesterday during the individual time trial for drafting, Navy topped the stage with the minimum four cyclists running together in current overall leader Ronald Oranza, defending champion Jan Paul Morales, Junrey Navarra, and Archie Cardana. Navy's remaining cyclists Rudy Roque, John Mark Camingao, and El Joshua Carino all struggled during the stage and were left behind.

Morales shares in Filipino, "Since only the fourth rider’s time will count in the TTT we had to drag Cardana near the finish line." He adds, "I think it’s ours already."

Navy-Standard Insurance has an aggregate time of 82:19:52, ahead of Go for Gold Developmental at 82:52:24 and Army-Bicycology at 82:52:24.

Cyclists will be taking a three-day break before the grind resumes with the four remaining stages:

207.2-km Silang-Tagaytay Stage 9 on Thursday
147.8-km Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 on Friday
92.72-km Calaca-Calaca Stage 11 on Saturday
Filinvest Alabang Stage 12 criterium on Sunday

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, Philippine Rabbit, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

The champion gets to win a million PhP.

Oranza claims Ronda Individual Time Trial

Your Individual Time Trial winner

Ronald Oranza topped his third stage in the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC, claiming the 31.5-kilometer individual time trial Stage Seven earlier today at the Monasterio de Tarlac.

The current overall leader started off last at Provincial Capitol of Tarlac, but managed to catch up and overtake Jay Lampawog of Go for Gold Developmental and his Navy-Standard Insurance teammate Ronald Lomotos, and almost caught up with defending champion Jan Paul Morales, posting a time of 44:44 minutes.

He bucked injuries he incurred from the crash he was involved in yesterday, sharing in Filipino, "I was really painful and was I feeling it during the race, but I just focused on posting the fastest time and I’m happy I succeeded."

Morales clocked in at 46:31 to finish with the second best time, while Rudy Roque finished in third at 48:26.

This is the 26-year-old's third stage victory of the tour, after claiming the opening two stages in Ilocos. He now has a lead of almost seven minutes to Morales (21:01:56 to 21:08:51) as they continue to pull away from their opposition with five more stages left.

The current leader in the Best Young Rider division, Lampawog moved up to third overall with 21:19:31, as Lomotos would be disqualified from the tour for drafting behind Morales.

The rest of the top ten are as follows:

4th. Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 21:20:02
5th. John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:20:34
6th. George Oconer (Go for Gold) 21:20:51
7th. Ronnel Hualda (Go for Gold Developmental) 21:21:29
8th. Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:21:42
9th. Irish Valenzuela (CCN Superteam) 21:22:04
10. Junrey Navarra (Navy-Standard Insurance) 21:22:08

On tap for tomorrow is the Team Time Trial Stage Eight, with Navy-Standard Insurance seeking to extend their lead with almost a half-an-hour lead over Go for Gold Developmental.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Oranza solidifies Ronda lead at halfway point

Ronda reaches halfway point.

Ronald Oranza solidifies his hold on the symbolic red jersey, finishing in second in the sixth stage of the 2018 Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC that concluded at the Provincial Capitol of Tarlac earlier today.

George Oconer of Go for Gold claimed the stage victory, clocking in at 2:37:04. He was "just happy" to claim the victory, which keeps him in eighth overall with an aggregate clocking of 20:31:22. He also becomes the second cyclist not from Navy-Standard Insurance to win a stage in this year's Ronda.

Oranza matched that time, keeping himself comfortably atop the overall classification at 20:17:12, with the tour reaching its halfway point. He did, however, hurt his knee and left thumb, as he figured in a crash in Camiling, Tarlac. The Navy-Standard Insurance cyclist was bumped by Go for Gold Developmental's Roel Quitoy, who then got hit by a marshal riding a motorcycle. He hopes that the injury would get better in the coming stages.

Defending champion Jan Paul Morales finished nine seconds off the pace, as he checked in alongside the peloton. He remains in second place with an aggregate time of 20:22:20, while tacking on additional points to strengthen his hold on the sprint lead, allowing him to wear the symbolic blue Petron jersey.

The rest of the top ten in the overall classification are as follows:

3rd. Ronald Lomotos (Navy-Standard Insurance): 20:26:09
4th. Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental): 20:28:25
5th. Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology): 20:28:48
6th. Ronnel Hualda (Go for Gold Developmental): 20:29:47
7th. John Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance): 20:29:53
9th. El Joshua Carino (Navy-Standard Insurance): 20:32:17
10th. Irish Valenzuela (CCN Superteam): 20:32:23

Valenzuela lost time due to a crash involving a big group of participants in the final stretch, suffering a bruised collarbone and a sprained left wrist.

Also suffering injuries in that crash were Marvin Tapic and Merculio Ramos, but both cyclists are good to continue.

With half of the Top 10 in the overall classification coming from Navy-Standard Insurance, they are atop the team classification rankings, toting an aggregate time of 81:23:35, almost a half an hour ahead of Go for Gold Developmental, which clocks in at 81:53:13. Army-Bicycology is in third with 82:10:37.

All eyes now center on the individual time trial tomorrow, starting at the Provincial Capitol and concludes at the Monasterio de Tarlac, located on top of a mountain in San Jose, Tarlac.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling, staking a whopping P1 million to the champion.

Arellano continues NCAA athletics dominance

Day 2 of the NCAA Season 93 track and field competition sees Arellano continue to build on a successful three-peat bid.

John Carlos Corpuz added another gold with a NCAA record throw in discus, as his 41.56m attempt eclipsed the old mark by a meter.

Meanwhile, Mapua took control of the running events with gold medals from Rowell Galvero in the 5000m (15:29.55), Raymund Alferos in the 400m (48.87s) , and Fernan Lopez in the 100m (11.2s).

Three more records fell earlier today, all of which came in the HS division.

Edgar Mahinay set the 2000m steeplechase gold medal with a time of six minutes and 11.47 seconds, as he dominated against the opposition. His fellow Red Cub Mariano Masano set the 800m record with his time of 1:55.28.

The other record saw Arellano's John Paul Parulan set a new mark with his 3.85m attempt in HS pole vault.

Meanwhile, reigning HS MVP Veruel Verdadero posted the fastest time of the day in the century dash, as the multiple gold medalist in the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy ran a 10.97.

Arellano asserts in Day 1 of NCAA Track

Arellano's quest to become a three-time champion in track and field started off strong after Day 1 of NCAA Season 93 activities at the PhilSports oval in Pasig earlier today.

The Chiefs secured the gold medal in the long jump, as Aristeo dela Pena recorded a leap of 7.00 meters, beating out Ronald Canaria of San Sebastian and Angelo Esguerra of Mapua with their respective 6.90m and 6.80m attempts.

Arellano also secured a silver in pole vault, as Jessie Boy Bayan's 3.80m mark was only second to Harvey Unico of Letran with his 4.00m attempt. Dave Geraldino of Mapua secured the bronze with his 3.40m mark.

In the HS division, San Beda and Perpetual are proving to be the biggest stumbling blocks to EAC-ICA's quest to defend their title.

The Red Cubs and Altalettes both secured 1-2 finishes in discus throw and long jump to get their campaigns off and running.

San Beda's John Rafael Lamatan and Gideon Arellano U topped the discus throw, while Perpetual's Warren Villaroso and Janseengin Mantecina topped the long jump.

Before the competition proper, the NCAA held simple opening ceremonies to kick off the festivities, with PATAFA chief Philip Ella Juico gracing the meet. Also present were members of the NCAA Management Committee (ManCom), led by track and field organizing head Frank Gusi of Perpetual Help.

Carino takes all-Navy Standard Insurance podium in Ronda Pilipinas Stage 5

Ronald Oranza in the left, El Joshua Carino in the middle, Jan Paul Morales on the right

Navy-Standard Insurance continue their dominance in 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas, as they swept the podium in Stage Five earlier this morning.

The trio of defending champion Jan Paul Morales, current leader Ronald Oranza, and El Joshua Carino finished the stage together, with Morales and Oranza allowing Carino to take the victory after his contributions during the stage.

The 24-year-old spearheaded the early breakaway, then initiated the final action in the last six kilometers, ensuring both Oranza and Morales to get ahead. The duo then let Carino catch up and claim the win at 4:6:58.

Their performance keeps both Oranza and Morales at 1-2 in the overall classification, with the former still leading at 17:40:13 and the defending champion just under five minutes behind at 17:45:12.

This is Carino's fourth-ever stage victory in Ronda Pilipinas, and the first this year. The mountain climbing expert now makes it four times a Navy-Standard Insurance cyclist has claimed the stage win, with Oranza winning the first two stages and Morales winning Stage Four. Cris Joven is the only non-Navy cyclist to have won a stage, claiming Stage Three.

Oranza did not mind taking on a domestique role for most of this particular stage, acknowledging that his teammates will also do the same if the situation needs it.

The rest of the top ten in the overall classification are as follows:

3rd. Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental): 17:48:56
4th. Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology): 17:51:16
5th. Ronald Lomotos (Navy-Standard Insurance): 17:51:35
6th. Irish Valenzueal (CCN Superteam): 17:52:34
7th. Ronnel Hualda (Go for Gold Developmental) 17:52:34
8th. Jhon Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 17:54:26
9th. Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 17:55:04
10th. Leonel Dimaano (Team Franzia) 17:55:10

The all-Navy podium also solidifies their dominance in the team classification, extending their lead over Go for Gold Developmental to almost thirty minutes, 70:54:59 to 71:24:25. Army-Bicycology remains in third with an overall time of 71:41:45.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

The tour resumes tomorrow morning with Stage Six, a 111.8km race from the City Hall of San Jose in Nueva Ecija to the Provincial Capitol of Tarlac.

Stage 5 of Ronda Pilipinas commences tomorrow

Navy-Standard Insurance seeks to further control the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas, with the fifth stage set to commence tomorrow morning in Echague, Isabela, with its riders atop the overall classification.

Stage 5 is 179.4 kilometers long and will finish at San Jose, Nueva Ecija. Teammates Ronald Oranza and defending champion Jan Paul Morales are 1-2 in the standings.

Oranza won the first two stages of the tour to claim the red jersey for overall leadership and never looked back, toting a five-minute lead over Morales. According to the Villasis, Pangasinan native, he just wants to race smart in order to still wear the red jersey.

The defending champion is seeking to be the first three-peat winner of the tour, topped the last stage from Tuguegarao to Isabela to creep back into the title picture once again, and the Marikina native just needs to be ready to pounce and make cycling history.

However, Morales doesn't mind not winning the tour, for as long as it is a teammate of his claiming the PhP 1M prize as champion.

Navy-Standard Insurance comprises half of the Top 10 field, with Ronald Lomotos in fifth overall, Jhon Mark Camingao in eighth, and last year's runner-up Rudy Roque in ninth. It is this kind of effort that allows them to take a lead of over seventeen minutes against Go for Gold Developmental in the team classification.

Comprising the rest of the top ten are Jay Lampawog of Go for Gold Developmental, Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology, Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam, Ronnel Hualda of Go for Gold, and Leonel Dimaano of Team Franzia.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Sports, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Arellano set for NCAA Season 93 title defense in track

Arellano is set to launch its three-peat bid in track and field with the start of the NCAA Season 93 Track and Field tournament tomorrow at the PhilSports oval in Pasig.

The Chiefs will try to fend off last season's runner-up Mapua and JRU in this go-around, with College of Saint Benilde and Perpetual Help also serving as potential contenders. In the HS division, Emilio Aguinaldo College, through EAC-ICA, will be shooting for a fifth straight title.

According to Arellano head coach Paulino Coloma, he is looking at long-distance running as well as throwing to once again serve as the foundation in their quest for the title.

Eight gold medals are at stake in Day One, including pole vault and long jump in seniors and discus throw and long jump in HS play during the morning and the sprint events in the afternoon. Day 2 in athletics will take place the next day with twelve gold medals, while the final day will take place this Monday, with four medals.

Gracing the opening rites is PATAFA head Philip Juico.

Morales claims Ronda Pilipinas Stage 4

Finish line of Stage 4 of Ronda Pilipinas

Jan Paul Morales continues his ascent towards history in the Ronda Pilipinas, as the two-time champion from Navy-Standard Insurance topped Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage 4 of the tour earlier today.

Morales beat out twelve other riders, led by current overall leader and teammate Ronald Oranza, George Oconer of Go for Gold and Ronnel Hualda of Go for Gold Developmental, in a mad dash to the finish, clocking in at three hours and 7.42 minutes.

With the stage victory, he moves up to second overall with an aggregate time of 13:38.22, five minutes and a second behind Oranza's 13:33:21.

Even if Morales' bid for a three-peat would be denied, the Villasis, Pangasinan native would not mind not winning, for as long as the winner is a teammate of his from Navy-Standard Insurance, he shares.

Completing the leaderboard after four Ronda Pilipinas stages are the following cyclists:

3rd. Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental) 13:40:16
4th. Cris Joven (Army-Bicycology) 13:40:57
5th. Ronald Lomotos (Navy-Standard Insurance) 13:40:57
6th. Irish Valenzuela (CCN Superteam) 13:41.22
7th. Hualda 13:41:34
8th. Jhon Mark Camingao (Navy-Standard Insurance) 13:42:50
9th. Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 13:42:44
10th. Leonel Dimaano (Team Franzia) 13:43:11

Ertswhile runner-up Archie Cardana struggled today, which eased him out of the top ten altogether.

Valenzuela was also in the winning pack today, which allowed the former Ronda champion to make the ascent into the top ten for the first time in the 2018 edition of the tour.

Navy-Standard Insurance's dominance today reflected in the team classification, as it raised its lead to 17 minutes, with its overall time of 54:26:06. Go for Gold Developmental and Army-Bicycology are second and third with 54:44:01 and 54:55:26, respectively.

The tour takes a one-day break tomorrow before resuming on March 8 with the 179.4 Stage Five from the Municipal Hall of Echague, Isabela to the City Hall of San Jose, Nueva Ecjia.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Cycling, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Joven takes Ronda Pilipinas Stage 3

Cris Joven tops Stage 3

Cris Joven claimed Stage 3 of the 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas earlier today, beating out Ronnilan Quita of Go for Gold Developmental and Leonel Dimaano of Team Franzia at the Provincial Capitol of Tuguegarao.

Joven bucked the heat and distance to take the win with a time of five hours and 39.45 minutes, as he joined a breakaway group early on in the stage, then hung on and finally outprinted Quinta and Dimaano in the final stretch.

His effort was rewarded in the overall classification, as he moved up to seventh overall with his aggregate time of 10:32:53, putting him a little over seven minutes behind the leader. This after he started out last after the opening stage.

Talking to the media in Filipino after the win, the 30-year-old Tabaco, Albay native says, "I kept telling myself I will take Stage Three and I don’t want to go to sleep tonight disappointed." He also dedicated the victory to his superiors in the Philippine Army, in Brigadier General Roy Devisa and Col. Joh Divinagracia, as well as the team's sponsor Bicycology, a bike shop owned by Filipino sports legend Eric Buhain.

Ronald Oranza still gets to wear the LBC red jersey with his 13th place finish in Stage Three, clocking in at 5:40:28 to put his overall time at 10:25:39. His Navy-Standard Insurance teammate Archie Cardana is in second place, five minutes adrift.

Defending champion Jan Paul Morales finished fifth in Stage Three, allowing him to move up to third overall with 10:31:01.

Completing the top ten are following cyclists:

4th. Dimaano: 10:32:21
5th. Jay Lampawog (Go for Gold Developmental): 10:32:34
6th. Quita: 10:32:52
8th. Ronald Lomotos (Navy-Standard Insurance) 10:33:15
9th. Juan Carlos Barrios (CCN Superteam) 10:33:29
10th. Junrey Navarra (Navy-Standard Insurance) 10:33:30

Ertswhile runner-up George Oconer wilted in the longest stage of the tour, faltering to 25th place.

On tap for the cyclists tomorrow in Ronda Pilipinas is Stage 4, a 135.2km race from the Cagayan Provincial Capitol in Tuguegarao to the Municipal Hall of Echague, Isabela.

The tour is presented by LBC and supported by the MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, and Standard Insurance. One million pesos goes to the champion.

Kianna Dy named as Player of the Week

In leading La Salle to a victory over arch-rivals Ateneo at the Mall of Asia Arena this past weekend, Kim Kianna Dy was bestown the latest Player of the Week nod by the UAAP Press Corps, over the University of the East duo of Shaya Adorador and Kath Arado, Far Eastern University captain Bernadeth Pons, National University captain Jaja Santiago, and Tots Carlos of the University of the Philippines.

Dy powered the defending champions to a 25-20 25-17 24-26 25-20 victory, contributing a season-high 21 points, off eleven spikes, seven blocks, and three aces. She had vowed to make up for her lackluster effort against Adamson, and her bounce back performance helped the Lady Spikers into a tie for second place in the standings at 5-2.

According to head coach Ramil de Jesus, Dy sent her a message apologizing for her performance and vowed to make up for it. De Jesus shares, "Eto naman, pinakita naman niya."

As for Dy, she says, "I think, coming from a loss kasi, kailangan talaga naming mag-bounce back. And we need to get that confidence again."

Oranza takes Stage 2 Ronda lead

Stage 2 Ronda Pilipinas action

Ronald Oranza snatched the symbolic red jersey after claiming over 155-km Stage 2 of the 2018 edition of the Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC earlier this morning in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

Oranza made it back-to-back stage conquests, joining a breakaway group early on in the race, before making his move in the final three-kilometer stretch to secure the stage victory in three hours and 34.13 minutes, a day after ruling the Vigan criterium that opened the Tour.

His Navy-Standard Insurance teammate Rudy Roque, CCN Superteam's Sherwin Carrera, and Go For Gold's George Oconer finished in second, third, and fourth, respectively after clocking the same time.

On his title aspirations, the Villasis, Pangasinan native shares in Filipino, "It's too early, but I'm glad to be up there."


The 25-year-old is now the overall leader with an aggregate time of 4:45:14, which 48 seconds faster than Oconer heading into the 223.5-km Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage 3, the longest amongst the 12 stages that comprises this year's edition of Ronda Pilipinas.

As for Oconer, he is just glad to remain within striking distance of the leaders, noting that he just needs to be smart in making a move atop the leaderboard.

Carrera is now in third place in the overall classification with a time of 4:47.70, with Joshua Mari Bonifacio of Go for Gold Developmental moving up to fifth overall with 4:47:56.

Other early contenders include:

6th: Archie Cardana (Navy-Standard Insurance) 4:50:20
7th: Michael Ochoa (Bike Xtreme) 4:50:20
8th: Reynaldo Navarro (Army-Bicycology) 4:50:27
10: Jonel Carcueva (Go for Gold) 4:51:47

Defending champion Jan Paul Morales was reined in by the opposition, finishing alongside a sixteen-man group that finished in thirteenth place. His 3:40:17 time dropped him in the overall classification to ninth place at 4:51:23.

Former champions Santy Barnachea and Irish Valenzuela are still further back, with the Team Franzia skipper in 19th at 4:53:12 and the CCN Superteam skipper in 27th at 4:53:16.

Navy-Standard Insurance remains the standard bearer in the team classification, toting a 19:14:44 time with the surprising Go for Gold Developmental team in second place at 19:24:34, 18 seconds ahead of their sister team Go for Gold.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Cycling, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling, with a million pesos at stake for the champion.

Morales takes initial Ronda lead

Stage 1 of the 2018 Ronda Pilipinas

Defending two-time champion Jan Paul Morales made no bones about his intention to become a three-time Ronda Pilipinas champion, as he claimed the Red Jersey after the first stage of Ronda Pilipinas earlier today in the historic city of Vigan.

The Navy-Standard Insurance cyclist shared the same time as teammate Ronald Oranza, who won the stage at one hour, eleven minutes, and twenty-two seconds, as they went through the fabled cobblestone street of Calle Crisologo as part of the 40-km criterium. Morales, though, will be wearing the symbolic red jersey as tour leader by topping the two intermediate sprints and finishing second, garnering a fifteen-second time bonus, putting his time at 1:11:06. He will be ahead of Oranza by three seconds when Stage 2 commences tomorrow morning.

Alongside the duo in the winning pack are Army-Bicycology's Alvin Benosa and Go For Gold's George Oconer. Oconer will be third with a 1:11:17, one second ahead of Benosa.

Oconer's teammate Jonel Carcueva fell off and finished fifth at 1:11:22.

The rest of the top ten are as follows:

Leonel Dimaano (Team Franzia) 1:12:45
Junrey Navarra (Navy-Standard Insurance) 1:12.45
Ismael Grospe, Jr. (Go for Gold Developmental) 1:12.45
Rudy Roque (Navy-Standard Insurance) 1:12.52
James Ferfas (Bike Xtreme) 1:12.52

Notable contenders Santy Barnachea, Irish Valenzuela, and Cris Joven are back in the pack with slow starts in their attempts to dethrone Morales.

Two-time champ Barnachea is under two minutes off the pace at 36th, while Valenzuela is 18th with just over 100 seconds behind the leaders. Meanwhile, Joven will start from the bottom at 56th with a time of 1:16.03.

On winning the stage, Morales says in Filipino, "It's always nice to start the race on top." He had won this exact stage last year in the run-up to his successful title defense.

As for Benosa, the 37-year old veteran tried to make a run for a stage victory, but just fell short, although he was happy to finish in the podium. He had finished seventeenth overall last year, with his best finish in a stage being in fourth place.

Powered by Morales and Oranza's strong starts, Navy-Standard Insurance secured the overall team lead with 4:48:19. Go for Gold is in second with 4:48:33, with Army-Bicycology in third place at 4:50:17.

Ronda Pilipinas is now set to hit the road as Stage 2 starts at the Capitol and will head through Laoag before finishing at the Pagudpud Municipal Hall.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Filinvest, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Cycling, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

A whopping P1 million will be given to the individual champion and P150,000 to the team winner.

Ronda Pilipinas set to commence tomorrow

Jan Paul Morales is set for his quest to claim his third straight title, as the Ronda Pilipinas kicks off tomorrow at the historic city of Vigan.

If he is successful, the Navy-Standard Insurance standard bearer would become the most titled rider of the biggest cycling race in the country.

The 32-year-old shares in Filipino, "I’m not guaranteeing it but I will do my best to win the title again this year."

Defending the title will not be easy with a strong field of cyclists ready for the challenge, led by former champions Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam, as well as the likes of George Oconer of Go For Gold, last year's third placer Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme's Jaybop Pagnanawon, Go for Gold Developmental's Ronnel Hualda, and Morales' teammates in Navy-Standard Insurance Rudy Roque and Ronald Oranza.

Barnachea is a two-time Ronda champion himself, winning the both the inaugural and the 2015 edition, while Valenzuela won in 2012. Both cyclists return after missing the last two editions for a variety of reasons.

Oconer returns after missing last season for national team commitments as he prepared for the SEA Games. He is the man Morales thinks will be his biggest rival that can deny him the three-peat.

The 2018 edition of Ronda Pilipinas will commence with a 40-kilometer criterium that will around the historic city, specifically Calle Crisologo, Quezon Avenue, A. Reyes, and delos Reyes streets.

The next few days sees the Ronda hit the road with the 155.4-km Vigan-Pagudpud Stage 2, then the 223.5-km Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage 3 and the 135.2km Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage 4.

After a one-day break on March 7, Ronda resumes with the 179.4-km Isabela-Nueva Ecija Stage 5, and the 111.8-km Nueva Ecija-Tarlac Stage 6.

Tarlac would then host the Ronda's two time trial stages, the 31.5-km Individual Time Trial for Stage 7 on March 10 and the 42.14-km Team Time Trial for Stage 8 on March 11.

Ronda would then finish strong with the 207.2-km Silang-Batangas-Tagaytay Stage 9 on March 15, the 147.8-km Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 on March 16, the 92.72-km Calaca-Calaca Stage 11 on March 17, and the final stage, a 50-km criterium within the Filinvest Alabang complex on March 18.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Cycling, Lightwater, LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Barnachea, Valenzuela pose challenge for 2018 Ronda title

Former champions Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam are primed to be the biggest thorns to Jan Paul Morales' quest for a third straight Ronda Pilipinas title, when the 2018 edition kicks off this weekend in Vigan.

Barnachea was the inaugural champion in 2011 and was the last champion in 2015 before Morales' back-to-back titles, while Valenzuela won the 2013 edition.

According to Barnachea, he believes that he still has something left in him, while Valenzuela's goal every race is to win. Both cyclists missed out on the last two editions due to a variety of reasons.

Morales, for his part, says he accepts the challenge posed by his rivals, as the Navy-Standard Insurance standard bearer believes that "with the proper support from my team and good strategy, I have a strong chance of winning again this year." He also acknowledges the defending the title will not be an easy task.

To help with Morales' quest for a three-peat, Navy-Standard Insurance has enlisted a crack unit to ensure his success. The team is led by the returning Ronald Oranza, who skipped last year's edition for national team commitments, last year's runner-up Rudy Roque, and multiple-time King of the Mountain Junrey Navarra. Completing the cast are El Joshua Carino, Jhon Mark Camingao, Ronald Lomotos, and Archie Cardana.

Other potential threats to Morales includes 2015 runner up George Oconer of Go for Gold, 2017 third place Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme's Jaybop Pagnanawon, and Ronnel Hualda of newly-established side Go for Gold Developmental. Also making a return to competitive cycling is Warren Davadilla, as the two-time Marlboro Tour winner joins Valenzuela and Julius Mark Bonzo at CCN.

One million pesos is at stake in this twelve-stage race, which is presented by LBC and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, CCN, Petron, Versa.ph, 3Q Sports Event Management, Inc., Boy Kanin, Franzia, Standard Insurance, Bike Xtreme, SH+, Guerciotti, Prolite, Green Planet, Maynilad, NLEX Cycling, Lightwater, LBC Foundation, and PhilCycling.

EAC, San Beda continue to hold NCAA beach volley lead

Emilio Aguinaldo College and San Beda continue to maintain their pace atop the leaderboard in the NCAA Season 93 Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Boardwalk in Subic Bay.

The duo of Paulo Cezar Lim and Joshua Mina defeated the duo of Joebert Almodiel and Rey Taneo defending champions Perpetual,  21-19 21-17 to take control of the men's division and at the same time securing their postseason berth with their seventh straight victory.

The Generals could secure an automatic finals berth if it can defeat Lyceum and Letran to end their eliminations campaign undefeated.

According to Lim, "We’re just focused on the game. We watched how they played and we already knew how we will beat them."

The loss dropped the Altas to a tie for second, alongside Lyceum at 6-1. The Pirate duo of Jhonel Badua and Joeward Presnede lost to the College of Saint Benilde duo of Isaah Arda and Ruvince Abrot in three sets, 21-12 19-21 15-17.

The Viray Twins of San Beda remains on top of the women's division, defeating the EAC duo of Jaylene May Lumbo and Glyka Mariz Medina, 21-6 21-11 to remain undefeated at 6-0.

The Lady Generals still remain in second at 6-1, ahead of Jose Rizal University and Perpetual, which are both at 4-2. Shola Alvarez and Mary Grace Rivera powered the Lady Bombers against Lyceum's Bien Elaine Juanillo and Christine Miralles, 21-10 21-15, while Bianca Tripoli and Marijo Medalla combined for the Altas to defeat CSB's Jan Arianne Daguil and Melanie Torres, 21-16 21-15.

The NCAA Season 93 Beach Volleyball Tournament is backed by Chigo Airconditioning, MTC & Infoworks, Crab & Belly, SBHATSVB, Subic Park Hotel, Bayfront Hotel, Terrace Hotel, SBMA, Balipure, Mikasa, and SMART. The event is sanctioned by the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, Inc.

PFF announce Azkals friendly with Fiji

Azkals back in action in a few weeks

With the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Tajikistan already set this coming March 27, the Philippine Football Federation recently announced that it will be holding an A-level International Friendly for its Senior Men's National Team against Fiji on March 22 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

This would be the Azkals' second-ever friendly against a side from the Oceania Football Confederation, following their October 2014 friendly against Papua New Guinea that also took place at Rizal Memorial.

Tickets are already available via SM Tickets, with options for PhP 50, 100, 200 for fans to purchase.

In addition, tickets for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Tajikistan are also available, but the ticket prices are PhP 100, 200, and 300, respectively. However, bleacher seating is not an option, per AFC regulations.