Fancied LPGMA-Vinyl not giving up on title quest

TUGUEGARAO , Philippines  â€“ With barely three stages left in the 2013 Ronda Pilipinas, coach Renato Dolosa of the LPGMA-American Vinyl, the pre-tour favorite to romp off with the team and individual titles, said the next two stages will be crucial in their bid to surge back to the top.

Dolosa said attacking in the next two stages – today’s longest stage (204.4 km) and the climb to Baguio in Stage 14 – would be the key.

The riders speed off today to Solano, Nueva Vizcaya on a route with three low-level climbs near the finish. Tomorrow’s 15th stage will give teams and riders the last chance to get to the top when they take the tour’s steepest climb, from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya to Baguio City (133.5 kms) through the Cordillera  and Carballo mountain ranges.

“Everybody’s waiting for these two stages. The first team to reach the summit in Baguio could become the champion,” said Dolosa, Tour winner in 1992 and 1995.

Irish Valenzuela, last year’s Ronda individual runner-up, and Cris Joven are LPGMA’s biggest bets in the individual race. Valenzuela remained third, 31 seconds behind the overall leader, after yesterday’s relatively breezy journey from Aparri, Cagayan while Joven stayed at sixth, 5:25 off the pace.

“It’s no secret that we’re also after the individual crown. Performing well in the next two stages will be our best shot,” said LPGMA representative Arnel Ty, who co-owns the team with businessman Eric Sy.

Valenzuela wore the red jersey of leadership for five consecutive legs before  Ronald Oranza snatched it in the Stage 9 team time trial from Mangaldan, Pangasinan to Vigan. On the same stage LPGMA-American Vinyl also relinquished the team overall lead.

LPGMA-American Vinyl, team champion in the 2011 Ronda and last year’s runner-up, is going for a third straight podium finish with an inexperienced cast of riders backing up Valenzuela, Joven and time trialist Rudy Roque. They are Edmundo Nicolas, Stephen Romaquin, Edgardo Bolliser, John Ricafort and Allan Ricafort.

Ty said the cyclists are part of LPGMA’s athletes from the barrio program, a five-year project geared toward discovering less fortunate athletes capable of becoming the best in their respective disciplines.