Navara rules mountain lap

CALACA, Batangas — Navy-Standard Insurance’s Junrey Navara won’t be considered the country’s best climber in cycling for nothing.

The diminutive Navara showcased his scaling prowess on his way to ruling the 92.72km Stage 11 yesterday and moving up to third spot with a stage left in Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC.

Picking up from where he left off following an impressive Stage 10 victory last Friday, the General Santos City pride poured on the heat early in the first 10 kilometers, then negotiated four King of the Mountain challenges before raising his right arm in triumph in front of the Municipal Hall here.

Navara submitted a time of two hours, 28 minutes and 13 seconds that proved enough for him to dislodge Go for Gold Elite skipper George Oconer for a Top 3 finish with an aggregate clocking of 33:04:37. “Kailangan talaga kumain ng malaking oras dahil hinahabol namin ‘yung third spot,” he said. “Paborito ko lang talaga ‘yung climb. Specialty ko ang ahon kasi dun talaga nagkakaiwanan ang mga siklista.” Navara’s fellow Navyman, LBC Red Jersey holder Ronald Oranza, checked in two seconds off the pace for his eighth podium finish as he virtually secured the individual crown with an accumulated time of 32:43:13, more than 11 minutes ahead of backto-back champion Jan Paul Morales, their team skipper. “Masaya ako kasi nakuha ko na ‘yung minimithi kong kampeonato sa taon na ‘to,” said the Villasis, Pangasinan native who’s expected to turn the Stage 12, a 50-km criterium race around Filinvest, Alabang on Sunday, into a royal coronation.