Ronda Pilipinas honors Moe Chulani with tribute ride

Past LBC Ronda Pilipinas champions George Oconer (right), Ronald Oranza (middle) and Jan Paul Morales lead the Ronda MeMOErial ride in San Jose, Tarlac Sunday.

To honor its late chairman Moe Chulani, Ronda Pilipinas held a tribute ride on Sunday.

Called a "A MeMOErial Ride, A Ride for Moe," it started and ended at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose.

Leading this special ride are former Ronda Pilipinas champions Jan Paul Morales, Ronald Oranza, and George Oconer. Alongside them are race co-founder Dino Araneta, and Moe's brother, Ravinder.

Notable Ronda teams like Navy-Standard Insurance, 7-Eleven, Go for Gold, Army-Bicycology, and Tarlac took part, as well as the developmental team of cycling legend Placido Valdez. Executive friends of Moe also were present, among them Jeremy Go, Quin Baterna, Wilson Cheng, and Roland Cunanan.

Given the nature of the event, consent was secured from both the IATF and the Tarlac LGU in order to proceed.

Ronda Pilipinas project director Bernadette Guerrero says, "This is for Moe."

Under Chulani’s leadership, Ronda Pilipinas has staged a total of 10 multi-stage races, starting in 2011. The competition has produced some of the best cyclists in the country today, including last year’s champion Oconer.

The pandemic has forced organizers to defer the race for 2021, although they are planning to have qualifiers later this year for the 2022 edition, which is tentatively slated for February.