STA. ROSA, Laguna–After thinking of catching up the whole race, new race leader Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance is now devising a plan of defending it.
Morales, 31, looks to protect the lead he snatched from teammate Rudy Roque a couple of days ago as the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 resumes today with the Stage 9 criterium at the Pase de Sta. Rosae here.
In eight stages, Morales has completed his ascent from outside the Top 20 to first overall with an aggregate clocking of 28 hours, 55 minutes and 16 seconds, or less than two minutes ahead of Roque with 28:57:09.
Another Navyman Ronald Lomotos is at No. 3 with 28:59:30.
"The plan is for me to ride intelligently and I will need the whole team to help me keep the lead," said Morales, who is seeking to become the first ever back-to-back winner of the country's biggest cycling race.
After successfully parrying repeated attempts by Kinetix Lab-Army's Cris Joven, Navy is now looking at a new threat, Go for Gold's rookie sensation Jonel Carcueva.
The 21-year-old Carcueva has come out of nowhere to snatch fourth overall with 29:00:19, or a little over five minutes of the pace.
A proud son of Menganilla, Cebu, Carcueva, who is also leading the best young rider race, has been making heads turn as of late and should continue to attack in this 50-km stage that will circle around Paseo and parts of Nuvali for an hour straight and three extra laps.
"If I can find a way to close the gap, I will," said Carcueva, who has slowly gotten the reputation as a daredevil after surviving several spills and a near fatal accident in the Bacolod City qualifying race late last year.
Carcueva, however, considers racing in the LBC Ronda already a blessing.
"I consider myself blessed just being here. This is my way of thanking Go for Gold for giving me an opportunity," he said.
Carcueva is also dedicating everything to his one-year-old son Lian.
"This is for my boy, who turned one year old last Feb. 5," said Carcueva.
Joven, 30, is at fifth with 29:00: 24 and should likewise go on attack mode with six stages to go.
The same with Carcueva's teammates Bryant Sepnio, Elmer Navarro and Ismael Grospe, Jr., who are currently at Nos. 6, 7 and 9 with clockings of 29:02:08, 29:02:15 and 29:04:20, respectively.
Completing the Top 10 cast are RC Cola-NCR's Leonel Dimaano and Stage Eight winner Jay Lampawog of Navy, who were at eighth and 10th with 29:02:22 and 29:04:33.
Ronda is staking P1 million to the champion courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Partas, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management.