Ronda adds extra qualifier in Visayas

MANILA, Philippines - The Ronda Pilipinas 2015 presented by LBC has added an extra stage to its Visayas qualifying leg to accommodate the cyclists who will be affected by the recent decision to forego the Mindanao leg for security concerns.

Ronda organizers added the 120-kilometer stage flagging off from the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol and ending in Cadiz City to replace the two cancelled Mindanao laps slated in Butuan City, Cagayan de Oro, Tubod in Lanao del Norte and Dipolog City on Feb. 8 and 9.

Instead, this year’s edition of the biggest and richest cycling race in the country and Asia will roll on Feb. 11 with the three-stage Visayas qualifying leg starting with the 172.7-km Dumaguete-Sipalay lap followed by the 157.8-km Bacolod-Bacolod stage the next day and the Negros Occidental-Cadiz race on Feb. 13.

Ronda Pilipinas executive project director Moe Chulani said they will arrange free ferry transfers from Dipolog to Dumaguete for the affected Mindanao-based riders and will add more slots to allow them equal opportunity to qualify.

“We will arrange free ferry transfers for our riders from Mindanao from Dipolog to Dumaguete on Feb. 10,” said Chulani. “Also we will increase the number of slots in the Visayas leg to increase their chances of making it to the championship round.”

Ronda administration director Jack Yabut, for his part, said they will have representative at the port of Dipolog for ferry transfers scheduled 4 a.m., 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. for those cyclists joining the qualifiers.

“Riders with their bikes and with a registration form can coordinate with our representative in the port of Dipolog on Feb. 10 so that we can provide them their passenger and bike cargo ticket,” said Yabut.