Oranza braces for tough final four-lap grind

SILANG, Cavite – Ronald Oranza hopes to make full use of the three-day break to recover from a grueling eight-stage campaign in the north and map out his game-plan in the last four laps in the south leading to a dream Ronda Pilipinas title run.

Despite a seven-minute lead over fellow Navy-Standard Insurance mainstay and three-peat seeking Jan Paul Morales after eight stages, Oranza remains wary of his chances, aware of the stiff challenges in the last four stages, including three killer laps that could make or break one’s title bid.

“There are still four stages, three of them killer laps, so I can’t really talk about my (title) chances,” said Oranza, who has assembled an aggregate time of 21 hours, one minute and 56 seconds, or almost seven minutes ahead of Morales (21:08:51).

Go for Gold Developmental team’s Jay Lampawog is at far third with 21:19:31.

The last four laps, riddled with steep mountain passes, include the punishing 207.2 km Silang-Batangas-Tagaytay Stage Nine on Thursday, the 147.8 km Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 on Friday and the 92.72 km Calaca-Calaca Stage 11 Saturday. Ronda will wind up with the 50 km Filinvest Alabang criterium Stage 12 on Sunday.

Rounding up the top 10 are Army Bicycology’s Cris Joven (21:20:02), Navy’s John Mark Camingao (21:20:24), Go for Gold’s George Oconer (21:20:51), Go for Gold Developmental team’s Ronnel Hualda (21:21:29), Navy’s Rudy Roque (21:21:42), CCN Superteam’s Irish Valenzuela (21:22:04) and Navy’s Junrey Navara (21:22:08).