Victoria Sports Pro Cycling ready for 2025 season

VSPC

Victoria Sports Pro Cycling (VSPC), the Philippines’ premier pro cycling team, gears up to sustain their unstoppable 2024 momentum and accelerates into 2025 with the aim to conquer new international racing circuits to bring greater honor and pride to the country. 

Following an impressive streak of victories this year, the team is ready to take on the world’s toughest tracks. With the team’s powerful lineup of riders, VSPC is set to make history on the global stage. From local victories to international triumphs, the team has consistently proven their capability to compete and win against some of the world’s best.

Leading the charge on the local stage, Ean Cajucom took the top spot in the Ramos Cycling Race, bringing pride to Filipino fans at home. Overseas, Nicolas Sessler won the General Classification (GC) and also won the 2nd Stage at Oman’s Tour of Salalah, while Jeroen Meijers added to the team’s success with a 3rd-place result in Stage 4.

At the Trans-Himalayan Cycling Race in China, VSPC showed their resilience, with the team securing 5th place overall. Meijers ranked 6th in the General Classification (GC), and Cajucom delivered a standout 4th-place finish in Stage 3. In Japan, they continued to make headlines at the OITA Urban Classic, where Meijers clinched the victory in the Road Race and Cajucom secured 2nd in the Criterium. The Tour de Kyushu saw more solid performances, with Meijers finishing in the top 10 in Stage 1 and Sessler showing consistency in the GC.

These achievements highlight not just individual skills but also the strength of VSPC’s collective effort. Every race reflects the dedication and synergy of the team, from strategic planning to unwavering support for one another.

As VSPC looks ahead to 2025, with invitations to the United Arab Emirates and Greece for the first part of the season, they remain focused on pushing boundaries and inspiring Filipino cyclists to dream bigger. With teamwork at their core, the team is proving that Philippine pro cycling deserves a chance at the world stage.

Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team set for Asian conquest

Victoria Sports

With the European campaign in the books, Victoria Sports Pro Cycling is set to continue representing the Philippines in the international scene of professional cycling.

Composed of Filipino riders Pako Ochoa, Daniel Ven Cariño, Edson Corbadora, Ean Cajucom, Ismael Grospe Jr., Kenneth Maramba, Miguel Omerga, Alexis Pagara, and Nichol Blanca Pareja, they are supplemented by seasoned international cyclists Jeroen Meijers from the Netherlands, José Mendes from Portugal, Edgar Nieto from Spain, and Nícolas Sessler from Brazil.

VSPC has seen some semblance of success in their recent competitions.

Pareja claimed the Individual Time Trial stage of the 2024 edition of the PhilCycling National Championships for Road, while Pagara finished third.

In the Tour de Taiwan, Meijers claimed fourth spot on its opening stage, with Sessler putting forth quality times at the Volta NXT Classic.

At the Belgrade - Banja Luka race, Sessler finished fourth on its third stage, while ending up eventually at that position in the General Classification.

Felipe claimed the King of the Mountain title in Stage 1B of the International Tour of Hellas, eventually yielding a 19th place finish overall. Meanwhile, Sessler, Mendez, and Nieto very much accounted for themselves with respectable results at the 6th Grande Prêmio Internacional Beiras e Serra da Estrela.

Lastly, the Lumba Tamo Zambales 2024 bore witness to Cajucom clinching the 150km Road Race category.

Looming in the horizon are a few races for VSPC. They will be in China for the Trans-Himalaya Cycling race on August 21-25, with Meijers, Ochoa, Nieto, Cajucom, Corbadora, and Maramba in tow, followed by the Tour of Routhe Salvation on August 30 - September 2. For this race in Turkey, it will be Sessler, Mendes, Nieto, Pareja, Pagara, and Carino, as well as Marcelo Felipe.

VSPC is also scheduled to participate in a couple more races next month: the Tour of Salalah in Oman on September 8-11 and the Oita Urban Classica Road Race on September 28.

Ochoa shares about their upcoming schedule, "We know that we have a challenging road ahead but we have a team that is determined to follow the footsteps of other great Filipino athletes and show that we can compete at the highest level."

Building on these successes, Victoria Sports Pro Cycling looks forward to the road ahead in 2025 and beyond, thanks to their tactical brilliance and signature determination.

For updates on the VSPC team and their international competitions, follow the Victoria Sports Pro Cycling on Facebook. 

Timberland Mountain Bike Park hosts 2024 edition of 7-Eleven Trail

7-Eleven Trail

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Philippine Seven Corporation, the 7-Eleven Trail cross country marathon took place at the newly-unveiled Timberland Mountain Bike Park located inside Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal last February 18.

It was the second time the competition took place at the facility, post-pandemic. Alongside the 7-Eleven Run earlier this year, these events align with PSC's dedication to foster a healthy lifestyle, as well as nurturing a strong sense of community within its network of patrons of its 7-Eleven branches nationwide.

Jose Victor Paterno, Philippine Seven Corporation President and CEO shares, "We are beyond thrilled to introduce Timberland Mountain Bike Park as the focal point of this year's 7-Eleven Trail. It definitely added an exciting dimension to the event, providing an opportunity for participants to experience a whole new thrill of mountain biking."

Over a thousand cyclists, varying from competitive cyclists to relative newcomers, embraced the challenge of going through a single-loop course that lasted forty kilometers, with the route interspersed with road climbs, fire roads, and single tracks.

To take advantage of the variety of options that the TMBP provides for cyclists, organizers split the routes to either the A-Line, a high-speed route that includes jumps, drops, sharp turns, and gaps, or the B-Line, which is a less-technical and slower lanes, but incorporates twists and curves to provide a little challenge.

In addition, the trail featured specific elements like The Skills Zone that is tailored for first-timers and novices, Point Break with its twisty, cross-country-style single track, and Enter The Dragon and its fast ridgeline descents combined with challenging technical features.

The trails were appropriately graded based on their difficulty levels, with an intuitive signage system also installed to ensure easy navigation for the riders.

Regardless of route choices, the goal of the event is to instill a sense of accomplishment upon completing the demanding race, allowing participants to savor the unique terrain of Timberland Heights’ captivating natural and scenic setting.

Emmanuel Dave Montemayor led all finishers with a time of 1:42:07, ahead of Mark Lowel Valderama (1:43:14) and Dave Rhoa (1:43:34).

In the women's category, Nicole Quinones nipped Shagne Yaoyao by three seconds to claim the victory, clocking in at 2:15:14. Finishing in third is Adel Pia Sendrijas.

Nicole is not the only one in her family who did well in the 7-Eleven Trail. Her father, Eboy, won the 55+ category, while her brother Matthew Symon clocked at 1:55:58 to finish tenth in the 19-24 age group.

Montemayor and Quinones each netted PhP25,000 for topping the overall category, while Valderama and Yaoyao got PhP15,000 as runners-up. Rhoa and Sendrijas each took home PhP10,000 as third placers.

Age Group winners received PhP7,000, while second and third placers took home PhP5,000 and PhP3,000 each.

This event was made possible through its venue partners: Timberland Heights, Timberland Highlands Resort, Timberland Mountain Bike Park, Araneta, and the municipality of San Mateo Rizal. 

Also supporting the event are Specialized, GT Bicycles Philippines, All Terra Cyclery, DJI Philippines, Coca-Cola, Wilkins, Mondelez, Selecta, Gatorade, Summit, Nature Spring, Red Bull, Black Mamba, Pocari Sweat, Enature, Delfi, Suncoast, Lipton Tea, Mister Donut, CDO Hotdog, San Marino, Jolliant, Passion Max, Trust, and 7-Eleven’s CliQQ, City Cafe & Gulp.

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.

Cycling patron Moe Chulani passes away

A key figure in the sports scene has departed.

Ronda Pilipinas co-founder Moe Chulani passed away yesterday due to cardiac arrest.

He was 45.

Along with Dino Araneta, they founded the LBC Ronda Pilipinas, one of the premier cycling competitions in the country.

Ronda Pilipinas managed to complete its tenth edition in March last year, just before the country shut down due to the pandemic. Notable participants of this tour are national team stalwarts Ronald Oranza, George Oconer, and Jan Paul Morales.

Chulani is also a board member of PhilCycling, the National Sports Association for the sport. Before that, he had been the team manager of the Pasig Pirates of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball League.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, who also serves as the head of PhilCycling, shares, "He’s a loss in the cycling community. He’s very dedicated in cycling."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MOB Philippines set for 2019 campaign

The 2019 campaign for MOB Philippines

MOB Philippines , after capping off its 20th anniversary celebrations last year with the Conquer All Roads Challenge now unveils its campaign for 2019: “Race Yourself - Hero Unleashed”

The campaign aims to once again inspire and serve as motivation for cyclists, specifically by telling us to stop comparing ourselves to others, as "the hero we look for is within us all."

According to MOB Philippines Marketing Head Mark Gan, "This campaign will inspire people. We hope that cyclists learn to be confident in themselves more and stop comparing their talents to other people's. The biggest competitor in your life is yourself. 2019 will bring more surprises, more trustworthy products, and bigger and better events for cyclists to enjoy."

Avid fans can also support MOB Philippines' campaign by using its official hashtags on social media: #RaceYourself and #HeroUnleashed.

Aside from the campaign, they also have different activities to commemorate its second decade in the Filipino cycling community, with new product releases and exciting new races for enthusiasts to check out.

One can check out https://www.facebook.com/MOBPhilippines/ for all of these goings on.

EDSA / C-5 host Go for Gold Larga Pilipinas race

C-5 cycling

The Filipino cycling community showed up recently for the Go For Gold Larga Pilipinas EDSA-C-5 Blitz Races this past weekend.

Close to three thousand competitors participated in eleven different categories, with an additional six thousand took part in the Fun Ride that ran across 24.8 kilometers stretching the two major road arteries in the Metro.

According to Larga Pilipinas technical consultant Atty. Froi Dayco, "This is not your ordinary race. This is classic. One for the book and one event that might not happen again."

Among the winners in the different races is Aidan James Mendoza, who claimed the Professional/Elite category. Along with John Mark Galedo and Jerry Aquino, Jr., the three managed an early breakaway from the pack, before Mendoza went on to clock a 23-minute and 18-second time to top the division over Jeck River and George Oconer.

He shared afterwards about the race, "Yan po kasing ganyan kaikli na karera, talagang buhos na agad yan. Di ka na dapat magpahinga riyan kasi kaunting pagkakamali mo sa ganyan kaikli na race, maiiwan ka." Mendoza would then add, "Saka nung nakita ko na beterano at mga laspag sa iba’t ibang karera yung kalaban ko, siniguro ko nang hindi ako mawawala sa harap."

In the other categories, Fred Chua ruled the Corporate Executives over Randall Hortaleza and Lance Asprec, while Albert Primero took the Masters title. Manuel Reynante claimed the Managers division over Alfie Tangzo and Alonzo Castro, with Athena Marana taking the Women's category over Marianne Dacumos and Kate Yasmin Velasco.

Completing the list of winners are Jarwyn Banatao for the Triathletes/Duathletes division over John Vyrom Lucero and Miguel Mapalo, Lorenzo Rellosa for the Amateurs, John Carlo Garol for the Under-21, and John Carl Reynante for Fixed Gear.

It was the second set of races that took place under the Larga Pilipinas banner, with the first one taking place in Marikina a month ago. Aside from Go for Gold, it is supported by PCSO Scratch It, Koten Enterprises, Nickel Asia Corporation, Excellent Noodles, Standard Insurance, Emperador Brandy, Juicy Lemon, Mother’s Best, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Aerox Quezon City Club, Versa.ph, Uratex Foam, MMDA and PhilCycling.

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.

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.

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.

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.