MISSING some key riders from its dominant team last year, Navy is still out to do well when the 2017 edition of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas rolls out early next month.
With riders Ronald Oranza, El Joshua Cariño and John Mark Camingao set to miss this year’s staging of what is considered the biggest cycling race in the country today, the Navy team is still upbeat that it can perform at a high level in the competition which it ruled last year by topping all the three legs.
“They can’t race because they’re under basic seaman course, they’re required to do it,” said team captain Lloyd Lucien Reynante of the missing team members.
Just the same, Mr. Reynante, 36, vowed they will give their all notwithstanding the top challenge to be presented by competing teams, namely, Go for Gold, Neopolitan, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Mindanao, South Luzon, Kinetix Lab-Army, Bike Extreme, Zambales, Salic and One Tarlac.
The main Ronda Pilipinas race starts on Feb. 4 with two stages in Ilocos Sur and will pass by Angeles (Feb. 8), Subic (Feb. 9), Lucena, Quezon (Feb. 12), Pili, Camarines Norte (Feb. 14 and 16), Daet (Feb. 17), Paseo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna (Feb. 19), Tagaytay and Batangas (Feb. 20), Calamba and Antipolo (Feb. 21) before wrapping up with a pair of stages in Iloilo City (March 3 and 4).
A top purse worth P1 million is up for grabs in the race courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Victory Liner, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
