Morales targets 2nd straight LBC crown
Jan Paul Morales gears up for his titleretention drive while Philippine Navy Standard Insurance seeks to dominate again in team event when the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC fires off March 3 in Vigan City.
Morales, 32, topped the 14-stage race last year, beating fellow Navyman Rudy Roque and Cris Joven of Phl Army with the former upbeat of his repeat bid in the eighth edition of the country’s premier bikefest.
“I hope to win it again this year,” said Morales, seeking to become the first threetime winner of the event race 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.
Other Ronda winners are two-time champion Santy Barnachea, Irish Valenzuela (2012), Mark Galedo (2013) and Reimon Lapaza (2014).
While it lost racing team captain Lloyd Reynante and Daniel Carino, Navy has tapped many-time Ronda King of the Mountain winner Junrey Navarro while re-enlisting Ronald Oranza, who missed the race last year.
Other members of Team Navy are Roque, El Joshua Carino, Jhon Mark Camingao, Ronald Lomotos and Archie Cardana.
Morales, however, admits he will be in for a tougher challenge this year with Barnachea, who will represent Team Francia, Joven, Valenzuela and Marlboro Tour champion Warren Davadilla of CCN Super team, Go for Gold’s George Oconer and Jaybop Pagnanawon of Team Bike Xtreme tipped to foil his bid.
A P1 million will be staked in the 12-stage race that will start with the 40-kilometer Vigan criterium One on March 3 and the 155.4km Vigan-Pagudpud Stage Two the next day.
The other stages are the 223.5km Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage Three on March 5, 135.2km Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage Four on March 6, 179.4km Isabela-Nueva Ecija Stage Five on March 8, 111.8km Nueva Ecija-Tarlac Stage Six on March 9, 31.5km Individual Time Trial Stage Seven and 42.14km Team Time Trial Stage Eight both in Tarlac on March 10 and 11.