BAGO CITY—Ronald Oranza bested Navy-Standard Insurance teammate Rudy Roque and Rustom Lim of rival LBC-MVP Sports Foundation to reign supreme in the inaugural stage of the Visayas Leg of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 that started and ended here yesterday.
After pacing most of the race, Oranza went on attack mode in the final 100 meters to rule the 2.7-kilometer Stage 1 criterium with a clocking of one hour, nine minutes and 23.946 seconds, enough to earn him 15 general classification points and the leader’s LBC red jersey.
It was Oranza’s third stage victory after he took the first two stages of the Mindanao Leg in Butuan City and sixth overall since the annual LBC Ronda Pilipinas, the biggest cycling race in the country today, came to be.
“I just took my chance and grabbed it,” said the 23-year-old Oranza in Filipino.
Oranza, who hails from Villasis, Pangasinan or the mecca of cycling champions, later admitted he was just a ploy to lure opposing riders away from Navy teammate and Mindanao Leg champion Jan Paul Morales.
“I was just playing decoy to help Jan Paul (Morales). But when I realized I had the chance, I just didn’t waste time grabbing it,” he said.
Roque and Lim wound up second and third placers in 1:09:24.082 and 1:09:24.401, respectively.
LBC-MVPSF’s Ronald Lomotos finished fourth in 1:09:26.012, while Navymen Daniel Ven Carino and grizzled veteran Joel Calderon ended up Nos. 5 and 6 in 1:09:29.012 and 1:09:29.314.
Team ASG’s Richard Nebres, a 22-year-old neophyte from Matti, Davao Oriental, tried to snatch the lap win out of nowhere and even led in the final two loops of the stage.
But Oranza and the lead pack caught up and when Nebres tried to get back on top, he accidentally hit the rear wheel of Lomotos and suffered a painful crash.
He went on to finish the race but will have to endure minor bruises and a damaged bike.
“I had my chance but blew it,” said Nebres.
Checking in the top 10 were Morales (1:10:07.660), LBC-MVPSF’s Mark Julius Bonzo (1:10:08.943), Navy skipper Lloyd Lucien Reynante(1:10:09.935) and LBC-MVPSF captain George Oconer (1:10:11.899).
It was a dominating performance for Oranza, who also seized the two intermediate sprint races.
Team Iloilo’s Alejado Novendane emerged the best local rider after he submitted a time of 1:10:35.265.
The race resumes on Sunday with another criterium in Stage Two in Iloilo City coinciding with the Iloilo Bike Festival celebrations.
Stage Three, a road race through the major arteries of Iloilo City, is set on Tuesday with the last two stages – the Individual Time Trial and criterium – to be held Thursday.
The event, organized by LBC Express, is sanctioned by PhilCycling and sponsored by Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation, Petron and Versa Radio-Tech 1 Corp. with Maynilad and NLEX as minor sponsors.