Tsitsipas leads Greek cast against Pinoy Davis Cuppers

Davis Cup

The Philippines is expected to get top-caliber opposition from Greece when they face off in their World Group II Davis Cup tie on March 6-7 at the clay courts of the Philippine Columbian Association in Paco, Manila.

Led by 6th-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas and his younger brother Petros, the Greeks' four nominated players are in its country's top-five ranked players in the ATP World Tour. Completing the quartet are Michail Pervolarakis and Markos Kalovelonis, with Dimitris Chatzinikolaou as the non-playing captain.

In contrast, the Filipinos will draw strength from three of its ranked players in the ATP World Tour in Jeson Patrombon, Eric Olivarez, Jr., and Francis Casey Alcantara. Completing the cast are AJ Lim and Ruben Gonzales, with Chris Cuarto acting as the non-playing captain.

Cuarto shares about the matchup, "We’re looking forward to a really tough duel but we’ll try to use the experience to toughen up the team."

He also adds about Tsitsipas, "He’s not the No. 6 player in the world if he isn’t great."

At 21 years old, he's the youngest netter in the top ten of the current ATP World Tour rankings. He is also just recently claimed his fifth ATP title in Marseille, and is currently seeking to add to that tally in the Middle East for the Dubai Duty Free Championships.

The Philippines-Greece matchup is the result of a tweak the Davis Cup made with its format, with these World Group II ties taking place simultaneous with the World Qualifiers and the World Group I playoffs. The twelve best teams in the World Group II playoffs face off in a few months against losing teams from the World Group I playoffs for the chance to potentially move up to Group I.

Group II playoff losers could potentially face the prospect of being relegated into Regional Group III play later this year.

Bordeos claims Ronda Pilipinas Stage One

Mark Julius Bordeos wearing the symbolic red jersey as the overall leader.

Mark Julius Bordeos sprung a surprise and snatched the opening stage of the 10th anniversary race of LBC Ronda Pilipinas on Sunday in Sorsogon.

The 24-year-old Army-Bicycology cyclist edged out Jerry Aquino, Jr. (Scratch It), Rustom Lim (7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines), and George Oconer (Navy-Standard Insurance) in a mad dash towards the finish line.


The quartet clocked in at three hours, six minutes, and seven seconds, as they navigated in and out of the city.

On how he claimed the victory, Bordeos says, "I just stayed behind them and pulled away in the last 500 meters, I knew I can do it because I’m in top shape."

2012 champion Mark Galedo led an early breakaway of riders but faded in the end to finish fifth, three seconds behind the leaders. He did managed to secure mountain classification points in the process during that stretch.

He shared afterwards, "It would have been nice race if they had given their share but I was disheartened that no one did so I just decided to just slow down a bit."

A few seconds behind Galedo is a group led by Navy-Standard Insurance's Jan Paul Morales at 3:06:19, while the duo of Daniel Ven Carino and Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold settled for twelfth with a time of 3:07:01.

Title favorite Ronald Oranza is in 16th place alongside Nichol Pareja at 3:07:28, while 2014 champion Reimon Lapaza cracked the top twenty clocking in at 3:07:32.

Navy-Standard Insurance seized the team classification lead with an aggregate time of 12:24:55, with 7Eleven and Celeste Cycles not that far behind with 12:27:26 and 12:27:35, respectively.

The tenth edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and is supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation. Also backing the race are 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

Stage Two is 150.6-km race from Sorsogon to Legazpi City.

LBC Ronda Pilipinas kicks off 10th anniversary race

Ronda turns 10

Ronald Oranza and Jan Paul Morales have been tipped as the riders to watch when the tenth anniversary race of LBC Ronda Pilipinas kicks off today at the Baywalk in Sorsogon.

With Spanish cyclist Francisco Mancebo not around to defend his title, the duo leading the way for Navy-Standard Insurance are shooting to add this year's championship to their current accolades, as Oranza seeks to win his second title in three years with Morales is looking for his third title in the last five.

Oranza shares, "The goal is to stay positive and not to think that much about last year’s experience."

Morales adds, "I fell good about our preparation and with more hard work, I think I have a strong chance this year."

He also does not mind if he needs to back up Oranza or his fellow cyclists under the Navy-Standard Insurance banner, which is composed of former Le Tour champion El Joshua Carino, multiple King of the Mountain titlist Junrey Navarra, George Oconer, Ronald Lomotos, and John Mark Camingao. The 34-year old says, "If it's me, it’s me but I would not think twice of supporting a teammate if he’s ahead of me."

Both believe that this year's edition of the Ronda Pilipinas is one of the toughest in its decade-long history, with fellow former champions Santy Barnachea (Scratch It), Reimon Lapaza (Celeste), and Mark Galedo (7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines) leading the rest of the field.

Morales says, "This is going to be the toughest field we’re participating in recent years and we’re bracing for a strong challenge from our rivals."

Other teams set to participate are Go For Gold, Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme, Tarlac/Central Luzon, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, and South Luzon-Batangas.

Stage One is a 129.5-km lap that will go in and out of Sorsogon.

The tenth edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and is backed by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation. Also supporting the race are 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. PhP 1 million awaits the individual winner.

Pilipinas set to face Greece in new Davis Cup format

Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is set to implement a new format starting its 2020 edition, and as a result, it led to a historical tie for the Philippines.

The Filipinos have been slotted to play Greece in a World Group II playoff round this coming March at the clay courts of the Philippine Columbian Association in Plaza Dilao, Paco, Manila. This is the first time in almost two decades that the country is facing a non-Asian opponent in this competition since their matchup against Sweden back in 1991.

Such a matchup could potentially feature the 6th-ranked player in the world in Stefanos Tsitsipas against the likes of Jeson Patrombon, Francis Casey Alcantara, and AJ Lim, with the possibility of the presence of Ruben Gonzales and Treat Huey.

Teams have until Tuesday to determine their list of nominees for the tie.

The new Davis Cup format does away with regional matchups that comprised Group I and Group II  teams, instead pooling them together into World Group I and World Group II matchups. These are simultaneous with the World Qualifiers and the World Group I playoffs.

There will be a total of twelve home-and-away ties to be played with the Top 12 of the World Group II playoffs set to advance into World Group II ties this coming September against the losing countries in World Group I.

The prospects of being demoted to Regional Group III for unsuccessful teams in the Group II playoffs loom later in the year.

Philippines non-playing captain Chris Cuarto shares, "We’re excited of the new format because our team will have an opportunity to play not just Asians but also other strong players in the world."

Former Ronda champions banner tenth anniversary field

Ronda turns 10.

Even without defending champion Francisco Mancebo, the tenth-anniversary edition of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas will not be without the notable star wattage, with five former champions set to lead their respective teams when the race starts on February 23 in Sorsogon.

Two-time champions Jan Paul Morales (2016-17) and Santy Barnachea (2011, 2015) seek to become the first three-time champions in the competition, while Jean Mark Galedo (2012), Reimon Lapaza (2014), and Ronald Oranza (2018) seek to become the third cyclist to win two Ronda races.

Morales shares, "I always aim to win in all the race I join and I’m confident of my chances this year," while Barnachea says that he would do his best to win, adding that "We’ll know when the race starts but for me, anything can happen in this kind of race."

Aside from Mancebo, 2013 champion Irish Valenzuela is the only other former winner not racing in this year's edition, which stakes PhP 1 million for the individual champion.

Other potential contenders for the title include former Le Tour champion El Joshua Carino and his teammates at Navy-Standard Insurance Junrey Navarra and George Oconer, Marcelo Felipe and Rustom Lopez of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines, Ronnel Hualda, Daniel Ven Carino, Ismael Grospe, Jr., and Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold, Cris Joven, Marvin Tapic, and Dominic Perez of Army-Bicycology, and Michael Angelo Ochoa and Warren Bordeos of Bike Xtreme.

LBC Ronda Pilipinas chairman Moe Chulani also announced a slight tweak to the race format, moving Stage Six from a Lingayen-Lingayen route into a Tarlac-Tarlac one, as well as changing the Stage Seven route from Lingayen-Palayan into Tarlac-Palayan. All other stages remain unchanged.

When asked about this year's edition, Chulani shares, "We’re expecting an exciting race because most practically all the country’s top cyclists including most of our past LBC Ronda Pilipinas champions are joining."

This year's edition of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and sponsored by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation. Backing the tenth-anniversary race as well are 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.

Virtual Bundesliga International Series set for Spring 2020 start

eFootball

With the growth of eSports in the last few years, the Bundesliga seeks to remain ahead of the curve with the establishment of the Virtual Bundesliga International Series.

Set for a March 2020 launch, the VBL International Series is an eFootball tournament seeking to discover the best gamers in the world, starting off with the Regional Qualifiers across Asia and the Americas.

In partnership with Battlefly, regional qualifiers will take place in several stops, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, East Timor, Vietnam, and the Philippines in Asia, as well as Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the United States in the Americas.

Outstanding players in the Regional Qualifiers will be entered into the VBL Continental Qualifiers scheduled for April 2020. Set to run as an offline event in an undisclosed location in Asia and the Americas, participants will be kitted up in an official Bundesliga club jersey and will represent said team for the rest of the competition, which is the VBL International Final set to take place in Germany in May 2020.

Lucky finalists will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience to not just play and compete, but also meet professional Bundesliga and VBL players, visit select Bundesliga clubs, and experience one of the most exciting football leagues in the world, in-person.

The Bundesliga is a pioneer in the eSports landscape, being the first football league to launch an eFootball tournament in 2012. From its simple beginnings, the Virtual Bundesliga has now expanded into the German VBL Open, the VBL Club Championship, and the VBL Grand Final, which is an Official Licensed Qualifier and awards points as part of the FIFA 20 Global Series ecosystem. The VBL also touts its track record of over a hundred thousand participating online gamers every season.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein shares, "Nobody does eFootball like the Bundesliga. Whilst the last seven years have already been amazing, the last three years have really seen the VBL grow internationally with big tournaments in Chile, Malaysia or India. In season 2018/19 the VBL International Series Qualifier included participants from 12 countries, over 10 hours of Virtual Bundesliga action broadcasted across Asia and over 150.000 viewers. The VBL International Final was covered live by 6 Bundesliga broadcasting partners in over 10 countries. Together with professional teams and fan driven competitions, alongside our gaming partner EA Sports, we have brought something new and fun to the table, something bigger and better than before – ‘eFootball As It's Meant To Be’!"

Digital Innovations at DFL Group Executive Vice President Andreas Heyden adds, "Combining the online and offline world of football, the VBL International Series merges the passions of a new generation of gamers and Bundesliga fans around the world. This competition is yet another milestone in the Bundesliga’s success story of establishing a leading global eSports competition, an asset that further confirms the Bundesliga’s reputation as football’s innovation leader."

Galedo, 7Eleven make their Ronda comeback on its decade anniversary

Ronda turns 10

The tenth anniversary of Ronda Pilipinas will feature a return of a famed cycling entity.

Seeking to reclaim their former dominance in this prominent racing event is 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines, led by its skipper, 2012 champion Mark Galedo.

The 34-year-old vows to retake the championship leading a team that includes Marcelo Felipe and Rustom Lim. He shares, "We will do our best to try to win it."

The former SEA Games gold medalist has battled injuries in the past few years and hopes 2020 will be a positive one. He adds, "I’m feeling good and confident now especially with the team that I have."

Galedo was on track to being a back-to-back champion in the 2013 edition, before Reimon Lapaza snatched the title going into the last two stages. Lapaza is on track to also return in the 2020 edition, serving as the skipper of the Celeste Cycles PH-Devel Project Pro Team.

Galedo stressed that revenge is not on his mind against his fellow champion, notes, "It’s part of the race, we’ll just try to focus on the present."

Completing 7Eleven's 8-man unit are Mervic Corpuz, Aidan James Mendoza, Nichol Pareja, Jhonrey Buccat, and Tomas Mojares.

Serving as opposition for 7Eleven are the likes of Navy-Standard Insurance, Go for Gold, Scratch It, Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme, Tarlac/Central Luzon, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon/Batangas, and Nueva Ecija.

The tenth anniversary race of Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and sponsored by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation. Also supporting the race are 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.

FIBA 3x3 strengthens ties with Chooks-to-Go

Ignacio Soriano of FIBA 3x3 with Ronald Mascarinas of BAVI / Chooks-to-Go

With the World Tour set to make a stop in Manila in a few months, FIBA 3x3 executive Ignacio Soriano arrived in the country on Monday to check on the latest preparations for its return to our shores.

Scheduled to take place on May 2-3 at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall in the City of Pasig, the Chooks-to-Go Manila Masters officially returns to the 3x3 World Tour Masters circuit after a few years.

Soriano shares, "For us, Chooks-to-Go has been having excellent 3x3 activities. Last year, they sent teams in the World Tour. So, we believe that it's a great move to be back here with Chooks-to-Go on our side. 3x3 really belongs here."

Chooks-to-Go has been instrumental in the growth of 3x3 basketball in the country, running the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 league under the stewardship of Commissioner Eric Altamirano. Outstanding teams from the league have made their way into the World Tour Masters and Challengers. In addition, it has also hosted a Challenger event and the first-ever Super Quest.

These respective campaigns helped pave the way for the Philippines to earn enough points in order to secure a berth to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament next month in India.

Soriano adds, "2019 has been a special year for the Philippines in 3x3. Chooks-to-Go has been a great partner in pushing the sport to grow. 2020 is going to be much more special for the Philippines."

Both parties look forward to another banner year ahead for 3x3 basketball in the Philippines.

For BAVI head honcho and Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 owner Ronald Mascariñas, they are also deep into preparations for this year's calendar of activities with 3x3.

The 2020 edition of the Chooks Pilipinas 3x3 season is set to commence in March. In addition, they have partnered up with the Women's National Basketball League to set up their own tournament for our Filipina cagers. Of course, preparations remain ongoing with regards to the OQT.

Ronald says, "The main purpose of this is to discuss our preparation for the Manila Masters. We are just so glad that FIBA is strengthening its ties with us." He adds, "It's really a treat for Filipino basketball fans as the best clubs in the world are playing on our soil. It will also be a huge boost for our points, this time for the Paris Olympics."



Three months before the return of the World Tour Masters in Manila, the International Basketball Federation's (FIBA) head of 3x3 basketball Ignacio Soriano arrived in the country to inspect how the preparations for it is going.


With this, FIBA 3x3 and Chooks-to-Go strengthened their ties for another banner year.

As a sign of its commitment to Chooks-to-Go, Soriano gave Mascariñas a Tissot watch, the official timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.

For his part, Mascariñas can't wait to welcome the world's top 3x3 teams to the country, including reigning World Tour champion Novi Sad of Serbia and world no. 9 Sakiai Guldel of Lithuania.

Go For Gold set for Ronda run

Ronda Pilipinas

Go for Gold seeks to hold their own against the rest of the field in the upcoming LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race, which is slated to start on February 23 in Sorsogon and ends on March 4 in the City of Vigan.

Serving as team skipper is Ronnel Hualda, with Daniel Ven Carino, Jonel Carcueva, Ismael Grospe Jr., Jericho Jay Lucero, Marc Ryan Lago, Ronnilan Quita, and Rex Luis Krog completing the team, with Carino, Carcueva, and Grospe tipped to be the ones likely to contend in the individual classification. Each one of them was picked by team management for showing their great potential in the sport.

Go for Gold coach and manager Eds Hualda shares, "The guys have improved since we first took them and while our target is modest this year, I will not be surprised if we will give the favored teams serious challenge."

Even with their participation in the tournament, Hualda maintains that the objective remains the same: to discover, tap, and hone young talents who have the potential to succeed and eventually make the national team. He says, "That has been the goal by Go for Gold since the team was first formed. And we will never stop until we find and make them champions."

Serving as the biggest obstacle to their aspirations is Navy-Standard Insurance, led by its Ronda champions Jan Paul Morales and Ronald Oranza, with three other teams also having former Ronda champions in their respective units (Santy Barnachea with Scratch It, Mark Galedo with 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines, and Reimon Lapaza with Celeste Cycles-Del Project Pro Team).

Completing the field are Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme, Tarlac/Central Luzon, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon/Batangas, and Nueva Ecija.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation, with the likes of 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 also lending their support.

Philippines lucky in Badminton Asia re-draw

Badminton Asia

The Philippines believes it managed to secure some luck when the redraw for the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships took place on Monday, February 10.

The redraw was needed after the non-participation of China and Hong Kong in both divisions and India in the women's division.

The hosts, composed of Joper Escueta, Ariel Magnaye, Alvin Morada, Solomon Padiz, Jr., Paul John Pantig, Ros Pedrosa, Arthur Salvado, and Lanz Zafra, are now into Group C alongside Chinese-Taipei and Singapore after being slotted originally alongside Indonesia and India.

Men's head coach Ronald Magnaye shares, "Even if the grouping is a little lighter compared to our original group, we still have a mountain to climb especially Chinese-Taipei has one of the top players in the world in Chou Tien Chen."

Group B contains India, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, whilst getting free rides into the quarterfinals are Indonesia and Korea in Group A and Japan and Thailand in Group D. Both groups will still have to go through the motions with their group stage matchups for seeding purposes.

In the women's side, the hosts (composed of Nicole Albo, Sarah Barredo, Mika de Guzman, Geva de Vera, Ysay Leonardo, Chanelle Lundo, Bianca Carlos, and Thea Pomar) are slotted in Group Y alongside fellow Southeast Asian squads Thailand and Indonesia.

Securing berths into the quarterfinal rounds are Malaysia and Japan (Group W), Korea and Kazakhstan (Group X), and Chinese-Taipei and Singapore (Group Z). Those teams will still need to play their matches against each other for seeding purposes.

The tournament, which is backed by SMART Communications Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Leisure and Resorts World Corporation, Cignal, and TV5, serves as a qualifier for Thomas Cup (men) and Uber Cup (women) that will take place later this year in Denmark.

Organizers have assured both the players and the public that all measures have been taken to ensure everyone's safety, in light of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

Philippine Badminton Association secretary-general Christopher Quimpo shares, "We can assure to the players and the Filipino people that their safety is put on a premium to ensure the world-class staging of this event."

Navy-Standard Insurance set to reassert Ronda Pilipinas claim

Ronda turns 10

Navy-Standard Insurance looks to its two champions as it seeks to re-assert itself against a stacked field in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race later this month.

2016 and 2017 champion Jan Paul Morales and 2018 champion Ronald Oranza are tasked to lead the squad perceived to be the favorites to claim the team title in this competition, with consistent top-ten finishers El Joshua Carino, George Oconer, Ronald Lomotos, John Mark Camingao, and multiple King of the Mountain winner Junrey Navara accompanying the duo.

Completing the cast is newcomer Lance Allen Benito.

Navy-Standard Insurance coach Reinhard Gorantes shares that they will do their best to live up to what they are expected to be, as winners. He also believes the quest for the team title will be tougher with the return of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines to Ronda Pilipinas, led by 2012 champion Mark Galedo and veterans Marcelo Felipe and Rustom Lim.

Gorantes says, "There are a lot of team this year who are capable of beating us, 7Eleven is one of them

Also serving as potential competition for Navy is a youth-laden Scratch It team led by two-time champion Santy Barnachea, as well as 2014 champion Reimon Lapaza of Celeste Cycles-PH-Devel Project Pro Team.

Other teams set to participate in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race are Go for Gold, Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme, Tarlac/Central Luzon, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon/Batangas, and Nueva Ecija.

The 10-stage race is presented by LBC and supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation, and supported by Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX/SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

Badminton Asia set to commence

Badminton Asia

Even with the threat of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, it remains all systems go for the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships this week at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

Both Badminton Asia and the Philippine Badminton Association have taken all measures needed to ensure the safety of the players and audience amidst the developing situation, highlighted by the non-postponement of the event.

PBA secretary-general Christopher Quimpo shares, "We can assure to the players and the Filipino people that their safety is put on a premium to ensure the world-class staging of this event."

He adds, "The world's best badminton players have been vocal in saying that they are ready to put on a show come the Asian Team Championships -- and this includes our national team who has been training hard for the past few months for this event."

Even with these measures, both the men's and women's teams of China and Hong Kong, as well as the women's team of India have opted to not participate in the biennial meet, which will prompt a redraw of the groupings on Monday, February 10, during the coaches' meeting at the nearby Century Park Hotel in Manila.

The men's division had both China and Hong Kong in Group B alongside Thailand, while in the women's division, Hong Kong was in Group W with Malaysia and Japan, while India was slotted alongside Korea and Kazakhstan in Group X.

The Badminton Asia Team Championships is backed by SMART Communications Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Leisure and Resorts World Corporation, Cignal, and TV5.

88 set for Ronda Pilipinas' 10th anniversary

Ronda turns 10

88 riders are set to participate in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race, which is set to take place between February 23 in Sorsogon and March 4 in Vigan.

Leading those crack band of cyclists are returning champions Santy Barnachea, Reimon Lapaza, and Mark Galedo, who are aiming to secure the top purse of PhP 1 million.

Two-time champion Barnachea (2011 and 2015) will suit up for Scratch It, while 2014 champion Lapaza and 2012 champion Galedo will ride for Celeste Cycles PH-Devel Project Pro Team and 7Eleven Cliqq-Air 21 by Roadbike Philippines.

Their respective teams will attempt to be the foils against powerhouse Navy-Standard Insurance, which is led by 2016 and 2017 champion Jan Paul Morales and 2018 champion Ronald Oranza. Completing their squad are consistent top-10 finishers El Joshua Carino, George Oconer, Ronald Lomotos, and John Mark Camingao.

Also set to be formidable challengers are Go for Gold, Army-Bicycology Shop, Bike Xtreme, Tarlac Central Luzon, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon-Batangas, and Nueva Ecija.

The 2020 edition is an all-Filipino race after they held a five-stage UCI-sanctioned race last year, which was part of PhilCycling's plans for their entry into the Tokyo Olympics. LBC Ronda Pilipinas executive project director Bernadette Guerrero shares that there will be eleven teams of eight riders who will battle it out over ten stages.

She shares, "It is just fitting that we celebrate the LBC Ronda Pilipinas’ 10th anniversary with 10 stages and several champions like Santy Barnachea, Reimon Lapaza and Mark Galedo making a memorable Ronda comeback."

According to Ronda Pilipinas chairman Moe Chulani, "The essence of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas really is giving Filipinos, especially the younger ones dreaming to become big in the sports of cycling someday, an avenue for them to make their dreams a reality." He adds, "We’re bringing the LBC Ronda Pilipinas back to our countrymen in our 10th-anniversary celebration because this is really for them."

The opening stage of Ronda Pilipinas lasts 137 kilometers on February 23, with the Sorsogon-Legazpi Stage Two lasting 163 kilometers on February 24. Three more stages will take place (126.9-km Legazpi-Naga Stage Three on February 25, 212.5-km Daet-Lucena Stage Four on February 26, and 155.4km Lucena-Antipolo Stage Five on February 27) before all the riders take a one-day breather.

The action then heads up north for the second half, with the 128.9-km Lingayen-Lingayen Stage Six on February 29, followed by the 171.9-km Lingayen-Nueva Ecija Stage Seven on March 1. There will be two more road stages (177.1-km Nueva Ecija-Baguio Stage Eight on March 2 and the 176.4-km Pugo, La Union-Vigan Stage Nine on March 3) before the March 4 criterium inside Vigan for Stage Ten.

Ronda Pilipinas is presented by LBC and in cooperation with the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation (MVPSF). Supporting the race are Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX/SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.