IRISH Valenzuela has joined CCN Superteam with hopes of reclaiming the title he last won five years ago in the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC slated March 3 to 18 from Vigan, Ilocos Sur to Filinvest, Alabang.
Valenzuela, the 30-year-old 2013 Ronda king, said he has worked hard in the last five months to get back into competition shape after missing the last three editions of the annual event considered the country’s biggest cycling race.
The proud son of Tabaco, Albay is eyeing to join Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance as the most titled riders in Ronda.
Barnachea was the inaugural winner in 2011 and won it again in 2015, while Morales topped the last two stagings.
“I’m just focused on winning the Ronda again,” said Valenzuela, who booked his spot in the main race via the first of two qualifying events in Tarlac City last November.
Valenzuela will be joining forces with grizzled veteran Warren Davadilla, a two-time winner in the fabled Marlboro Tour, and Julius Mark Bonzo, whose father Romeo and uncle Modesto were former Tour champions that should make CCN a team to watch out for.
Also part of the squad were Jemico Brosio, Sherwin Carrera, Marven Aleonar, Juan Carlos Barrios and Jeffson Sotto in this race also 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 jumpstarted by the 40-kilometer Vigan criterium Stage 1 on March 3 and the 155.4km Vigan-Pagudpud Stage 2 the next day.
Also on tap are the 223.5km Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage 3 on March 5, 135.2km Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage 4 on March 6, 179.4km Isabela-Nueva Ecija Stage 5 on March 8, 111.8km Nueva Ecija-Tarlac Stage 6 on March 9, 31.5km Individual Time Trial Stage 7 and 42.14km Team Time Trial Stage 8 both in Tarlac on March 10 and 11.
Winding up the race are the 207.2km Silang-Batangas-Tagaytay Stage 9 on March 15, 147.8km Tagaytay-Calaca Stage 10 on March 16, 92.72km Calaca-Calaca Stage 11 on March 17 and the 50km Filinvest Alabang criterium Stage 12 on March 18.
Also joining are Go for Gold and Go for Gold Developmental Team, Bike Xtreme, Army-Bictcology Shop, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon and Tarlac Province.