Cris Joven well prepared for this year’s Ronda Pilipinas

CRIS JOVEN seeks to improve on his third place last year as he rides for Army-Bicycology Shop in the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC unfolding on March in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and ending on March 18 in Filinvest, Alabang.

Joven, 30, wound up third overall behind eventual champion Jan Paul Morales and Navy- Standard Insurance teammate Rudy Roque despite coming in with little preparation and will be come into the 12- stage race with a lot of optimism.

“Compared to last year, I’m better prepared now so hopefully I could contend and challenge them again,” said Joven, a proud son of Iriga, Camarines Sur, in Filipino.

Joven will also be backstopped by veteran campaigners Alfie Catalan, Merculio Ramos, Jr., Marvin Tapic, Reynaldo Navarro and Alvin Benosa as they challenge the big guns like Morales and former champions Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Iris Valenzuela of CCN Superteam.

The other members of the Army- Bicyclogy team are Lord Anthony del Rosario and Kenneth Solis in this 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.

A cool P1 million will be at stake in this 12-stage race that will be jump- started by the 40-kilometer ( km.) Vigan criterium Stage One on March 3 and the 155.4-km. Vigan-Pagudpud Stage Two the next day.

The race resumes with the 223.5-km. Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage Three on March 5,135.2- km. TuguegaraoIsabel a Stage Four on March 6, 179.4- km. Isabela- Nueva Ecija Stage Five on March 8, 111.8- km. Nueva Ecija-Tarlac Stage Six on March 9, 31.5-km. Individual Time Trial Stage Seven and 42.14- km. Team Time Trial Stage Eight both in Tarlac on March 10 and 11.

Winding up the race are the 207.2- km. Silang- BatangasTagaytay Stage Nine on March 15, 147.8-km. Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 on March 16, 92.72km. Calaca- Calaca Stage 11 on March 17 and the 50- km. Filinvest Alabang criterium Stage 12 on March 18.

Other teams competing are the Tarlac Province, Go for Gold, Go for Gold Developmental team, South Luzon, Ilocos Sur Province, Nueva Ecija and Team Bike Xtreme.