PFC. Cris Joven seeks to improve on his third-place finish last year as he rides for Army-Bicycology Shop in the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC unfolding on March in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and ending on March 18 in Filinvest, Alabang.
Joven, 30, wound up third overall behind eventual champion Jan Paul Morales and Navy-Standard Insurance teammate Rudy Roque despite coming in with little preparation and will be come into the 12-stage race with a lot of optimism.
“Compared to last year, I’m better prepared now so hopefully I could contend and challenge them again,” said Joven, a proud son of Iriga, Camarines Sur, in Filipino.
Joven will also be backstopped by veteran campaigners Sgt. Alfie Catalan, Sgt. Merculio Ramos Jr., Pfc. Marvin Tapic, Sgt. Reynaldo Navarro and Sgt. Alvin Benosa as they challenge the big guns like Morales and former champions Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Iris Valenzuela of CCN Superteam.
The other members of the Army-Bicyclogy team are Cpl. Lord Anthony del Rosario and Pfc. Kenneth Solis in this race presented by LBC and 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.
Other teams competing are the Tarlac Province, Go for Gold, Go for Gold Developmental team, South Luzon, Ilocos Sur Province, Nueva Ecija and Team Bike Xtreme.