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LINGAYEN, Philippines – Local bets Alfie Catalan, Arnel Quirimit and Ferdinand Pablo reigned at home while overall leader Mike Galedo of Road Bike remained in control after Stage 11 of the second LBC Ronda Pilipinas that started in Cabanatuan and ended here yesterday.

Catalan of Army-RC Cola, Quirimit of West Central Pangasinan and Pablo of East Pangasinan beat 14 other rivals to complete a 1-2-3 finish for the hometown bets to the delight of the wild-cheering crowd that braved the searing heat in front of the provincial capitol.

The top three finishers were actually part of the 17-man group that checked in with a time of two hours, 40 minutes, 27 seconds but Catalan pocketed the top P50,000 lap prize, Quirimit took P25,000 and Pablo received P15,000 plus equivalent bonus time deductions for topping the relatively flat, 122.2-km race.

For the 30-year-old Catalan, a three-time SEAG gold medal winner in 4km individual pursuit, it was his first lap victory since 2004.

“It’s been a long time since I last won a stage, maybe it’s eight years ago and I couldn’t even remember what lap was that,” said the six-foot Catalan in Filipino.

“I’m glad I ended the drought right here in my home province,” said Catalan.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Quirimit, who won the Tour in 2003, denied the local bets colluded in dominating the leg.

“It just so happened that we finished first, second and third. It’s really a coincidence,” said Quirimit.

Pablo, 23, is just happy to post his second podium finish in this year’s Ronda after the Umingan native ended up third in the General Santos-Davao Stage Two.

“I’d like to thank the people who helped me to compete here,” said Pablo, who has his three-year-old son Jayden, and whose Ronda campaign is backed by Fr. Manday Panganiban, S/N Aboitiz Power cycling team, Ruel Crusado and Manny Rubio.

Galedo, meanwhile, stuck it out with his pursuers and retained the red or leader’s jersey with a total time of 42:25.50, just 16 seconds ahead of another local bet Harvey Sicam of East Pangasinan, who has 42:26.06.

The tour takes another break today with Galedo gearing up for tomorrow’s tough 96.7km Lingayen-Baguio ascent tipped to make or break his bid for a first Tour crown since topping the Tour of Luzon three years ago.

“I will rest a bit and relax tomorrow (today) because we will need it before the Baguio stage,” he said.

Sicam, 26, also braces for a major shakeup in the Baguio stages.

“Everything will be decided there,” said Sicam, who was met by his relatives and friends at the finish line.

V-Mobile’s Oscar Rindole launched his attack early in a bid to snatch the lap honors from the locals but was eased out by the same people he was trying to outsmart. He ended up joint 22nd with Central Luzon-Tarlac’s Alfredo Asuncion.

He, however, climbed to No. 3 with 42:27.14, edging Navy A-Standard’s Lloyd Lucien Reynante, who slid to No. 4 with 42:27.29.

Like Rindole, American Vinyl-LPGMA’s Cris Joven and V-Mobile’s Rey Martin also gained in the ranking with the former leaping from No. 9 to No. 5 with 42:27.42 and the latter from No. 10 to No. 7 with 42:28.54.

The 26-year-old Joven, who topped Stage Two and held the red jersey for a night after a strong effort in the Daet-Lucena Stage Eight, said he’ll go for the overall lead in Baguio despite nursing a wound in his left leg he sustained after a crash in the Lucena-Antipolo Stage Nine.

“It hurts but I’m trying not to think of it and praying that God will give me strength to endure it because I really want to win it this year,” said Joven, a native of Iriga City, Camarines Sur who also paces the spring category.

The 36-year-old Barnachea, the Navy A-Standard team captain seeking an unprecedented fourth Tour triumph, played safe again but slid from No. 7 to No. 8 with 42:29.51.

Rounding up the top 10 individual leaders are American Vinyl-LPGMA skipper Irish Valenzuela, who continue to pace the King of the Mountain race, at No. 6 with 42:28.40, One Tarlac’s Joseph Millanes at No. 9 with 42:30.01 and former leader Baler Ravina of Road Bike at No. 10 with 42:30.12.

Last year’s surprise third placer George Oconer of Phl Under-23 fell outside the top 10, tumbling down to No. 18. He also slipped to No. 4 in the Young Rider race behind North Luzon-Ilocos Sur’s Ronald Oranza, Metro Manila’s Denver Casayuran and Army-RC Cola’s John Rene Mier.

The Big City bets barely hang on to the overall team lead with a total cumulative clocking of 126:17.29 with One Tarlac behind with 126:17.53 followed by Navy A-Standard (126:18.57), V-Mobile (126:20.48) and American Vinyl-LPGMA (126:30.14).

Rounding the top 10 in the team event were Road Bike (126:34.19), Army-RC Cola (126:36.22), West Central Pangasinan (126:38.34) and East Pangasinan (127:03.16).