VIGAN, Ilocos Sur”•Santy Barnachea of Team Franzia and Irish Valenzuela of CCN Superteam will challenge Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance in a battle of past and present champions of the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC, which unfurls tomorrow in this beautiful city.
Barnachea, 41, won the inaugural race in 2011 and repeated in 2015, while Valenzuela, 30, topped it in 2013 and the two should pose a big threat to the bid of Morales, winner of the last two editions, of a historic third title.
“I’m not yet done, I still have something left in me,” said Barnachea, who is back after missing the last two stagings due to personal reasons.
“When I race, my goal is always to win,” said Valenzuela, who was also missing in action the last years after figuring in a road accident a couple of years ago.
Morales, for his part, said he is ready and has accepted the challenge 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.
“I know it will not be easy, but with the proper support from my team and good strategy, I have a strong chance of winning again this year,” said Morales.
Morales will be backstopped by Ronald Oranza, who is back after he skipped last year due to his national team commitment, last year’s runner-up Rudy Roque, El Joshua Carino, Jhon Mark Camingao, Ronald Lomotos, Archie Cardana and many-time Ronda King of the Mountain winner Junrey Navarra.
Also expected to contend for the title are 2015 second placer George Oconer of Go for Gold, last year’s third placer Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology, Bike Xtreme’s Jaybop Pagnanawon and Go for Gold Developmental team’s Ronnel Hualda.
Interestingly, grizzled veteran Warren Davadilla, a two-time winner of the fabled Marlboro Tour, has teamed up with Valenzuela and Julius Mark Bonzo at CCN hoping to make a run for it in what could be his final race.
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.
The race resumes with the 223.5km Pagudpud-Tuguegarao Stage Three on March 5, 135.2km Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage Four on March 6, 179.4km Isabela-Nueva Ecija Stage Five on March 8, 111.8km Nueva Ecija-Tarlac Stage Six on March 9, 31.5km Individual Time Trial Stage Seven and 42.14km Team Time Trial Stage Eight both in Tarlac on March 10 and 11.
Winding up the race are the 207.2km Silang-Batangas-Tagaytay Stage Nine 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 participating are Tarlac, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Nueva Ecija and South Luzon.