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.