P7M LBC Ronda hits road today

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines  – The first LBC Ronda Pilipinas unwraps here today with 96 top riders, who survived a series of grueling eliminations, battling it out for a record total purse of P7 million in the biggest, richest cycling race since the Marlboro Tour in the 90s.

The field, featuring the young and veteran campaigners and current stars, begins its chase for fame and fortune in an out-and-back route in this city known as a gateway to Northern Mindanao and ends in the Big City after 12 stages spread over 20 days featuring 10 stops in key cities of the country’s three major islands.

Fernando Araneta, president of the sponsoring LBC Express, Inc., the country’s leading courier firm, said the event, the biggest since the 1998 Marlboro Tour, will be a test of endurance, skills and heart in various road and weather conditions on a route spanning 1,650 kms.

“The LBC Ronda Pilipinas is the biggest challenge for the country’s riders in the last 12 years. It will be the biggest revival of nation-wide tour,” Araneta said. “The name of the game is speed and consistency, which are the hallmarks of our company business.”

A total of P2.4 million is at stake in the individual classification, with the second placer winning P.5 million, third P250,000, fourth P125,000, fifth P100,000, sixth P90,000, seventh P80,000, eighth P70,000, ninth P60,000, 10th P50,000, 11th-15th places P10,000 each and 16th-20th places P5,000 each.

A brand-new millionaire will also emerge from the elite cast with the winner getting P1 million purse.

Araneta said all prizes are tax-free.

Lloyd Reynante, perhaps the country’s leading rider today, gets another crack at winning a major championship as he spearheads 7-11’s bid in team competitions which also offers a whopping P1 million purse.

The time trial specialist and a noted climber will be backed by an equally talented cast made up of strong flat road racer Ericson Obosa and climbers Irish Valenzuela and Sherwin Carrera and Tots Oledan and Mark Galedo.

East Pangasinan, known to produce top- caliber cyclists in the past, is also expected to shine on a team built around former Tour champion Santy Barnachea and Baler Ravina, perhaps one of the best, if not the best, mountain climbers in the pack.

Nueva Ecija, C&W Pangasinan-JazySoports, Tarlac and even the National Capital Region likewise boast of some familiar names that should make them in the list of contenders for the championship.

Joel Calderon and Oscar Rendole are teaming up for Nueva Ecija, another former Tour titlist Arnel Quirimit and Renato Sambrano will lead C&W’s bid, Elmo Ramos and Sherwin Diamsay will be Tarlac’s main weapon while another ex-Tour winner Warren Davadilla and Frederick Feliciano forged a partnership to spearhead the bid of the Big City bets.

Other skippers expected to carry the fight for their respective teams are Cris Joven for American Vinyl, Stalin Benito for Cagayan Valley, Jason Garillo for Ilocos Sur, Nelson Mangahis for Southern Tagalog, Eusebio Quinones for Bicolandia, Dexter Nonato for Davao Indra Sara, March Macquinn Aleonar for Cycleline Extreme-Butuan City, Jay Bop Pagnanawon for Cebu, Ronald Gorantes for Negros and George Oconer for PhilCycling’s U-23 team.

The LBC Ronda will pass through key cities and places like Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Dumaguete, Silay, Bacolod, Calapan, Mindoro, Batangas City, Tagaytay City, Quezon City, Tarlac City, San Fernando, La Union, Vigan, Baguio City, Agoo, La Union, Angeles City and Manila.

A stop in Boracay in the middle of the Iloilo-Aklan and Mindoro-Mindoro legs will serve as some of the event’s highlights as the LBC Ronda hopes to promote not just the event but also environmental consciousness.

All 16 participating teams will win a prize in the team classification which offers a total pot of P2,545,000, with the champion receiving P1 million, second P500,000, third P250,000, fourth P100,000, fifth P90,000, sixth P80,000, seventh P75,000, eighth P70,000, ninth P65,000, 10th P60,000, 11th P55,000 and 12th-16th P50,000 each.

Also at stake are stage prizes amounting to P1,566,000 with daily stage prizes of P130,500 going to the top 20 placers. The winner in each stage gets P50,000, second P25,000, third P15,000 and fourth P10,000.

Prizes in the team time trial are P50,000 and P25,000 for the top two finishers, and P12,500 to P2,000 for third to 12th placers.

The top three in the Best Young Rider and King of the Mountain competitions will earn P50,000, P30,000, and P20,000, respectively.