Ronda champ Morales eyes SEA Games medal

MOMENTS after claiming his second LBC Ronda Pilipinas crown, Jan Paul Morales has set his sights at snaring a medal in the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) slated Aug. 19-31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“If they still want me, I will be ready,” said the 31-year-old Morales, who blew away the competition by dominating the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 that concluded in Iloilo City Saturday, in Filipino.

“I think I still have it in me to compete in the SEA Games,” he added.

Morales has been representing the country in several international competitions including the biennial meet where he has reaped a pair of bronze medals in the 4-km. team pursuit and 10-km. scratch in the 2009 edition in Laos.

He wasn’t as fortunate in road race he was part of the team that placed sixth in the 100-km. Team Time Trial and 23rd in the 163-km. road race in Myanmar.

The Calumpang, Marikina City native though has evolved into a better road racer now and should be a force in the SEAG.

“I think I’m more matured as a rider now and a better one,” said Morales, who also swept both the sprint and king of the mountain awards.

This year’s SEAG has both road race and track events where Morales has a chance to snatch a medal.

Meanwhile, LBC Ronda Pilipinas project director Moe Chulani announced the 2018 edition of the event, considered the biggest cycling race in the country today, will be moved from February to April.

“It has been set, our LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2018 edition will start on April 6,” said Chulani during Saturday night’s grand awarding ceremony at the Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City.

Ronda has been held in February the past few years and has clashed with the schedule of the Le Tour, which was also held in the same month, forcing some athletes to miss one race for the other.

With the recent decision, cyclists will now have a shot to compete on both.

Ronda will again stake P1 million as top purse next year courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Partas, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management.