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.

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.

Joven looking to a better 2018 Ronda Pilipinas

Army-Bicycology's Cris Joven is set to improve on last year's effort at Ronda Pilipinas.

The thirty-year-old cyclist finished in third place behind the Navy-Standard Insurance duo of Jan Paul Morales and Rudy Roque, doing so with minimal preparation. This time, he enters the upcoming race with a lot of optimism.

In Filipino, he shares, "Compared to last year, I’m better prepared now so hopefully I could contend and challenge them again."

Complementing the Iriga native for Army-Bicycology are Alfie Catalan, Merculio Ramos, Jr., Marvin Tapic, Reynaldo Navarro, and Alvin Benosa, as Cris attemps to fend off both Jan Paul and Rudy, as well as other main contenders Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam.

The 2018 edition of Ronda commences at Vigan on March 3, with twelve stages that will traverse the island of Luzon until March 18. The race is presented by 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.

A million pesos is at stake.