Morales nears second straight Ronda crown with Stage 12 conquest

GUIMARAS – Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard dominated his pet event--the Individual Time Trial--in Stage 12 Thursday to virtually clinch the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 crown that started and ended at the Provincial Capitol here.

Out to put more separation between himself and the rest of the field, Morales, 31, exerted all his energy and was handsomely rewarded by reigning supreme in the 40-km ITT where he clocked an hour, five minutes and 42 seconds.

The Calumpang, Marikina-based rider finished three minutes faster than fellow podium finishers, Navy's Jay Lampawog and KInetix Lab-Army's Marvin Tapic, who clocked 1:09:13 and 1:09:19, to finish second and third, respectively.

It was made more impressive by the fact that Morales overlapped three riders--closest pursuers Rudy Roque of Navy, Kinetix Lab-Army's Cris Joven and Go for Gold's Bryant Sepnio--and nearly caught up with fourth rival--Leonel Dimaano of RC Cola-NCR--at the finish.

Because of his feat, Morales remained at the helm with a total time of 38:31:38, or over nine minutes ahead of Roque, whose deficit grew from just two minutes the day before to now nine with an aggregate clocking of 38:40:55.

The stage triumph was Morales' fifth after he also won the Stage Two criterium in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, the Angeles-Subic Stage Three, the Pili-Daet Stage Seven and the Stage Nine criterium in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Most importantly, Morales reduced the final two stages including today's 209-km Iloilo-Antique-Iloilo penultimate Stage 13 as his coronation ride.

The 14th and final stage--a 50-km criterium in Iloilo--is on Saturday.

Barring any untoward incident, Morales will become the very first back-to-back winner of this annual event considered the biggest cycling race in the country and will join Santy Barnachea as the most titled cyclist here with two apiece.

Barnachea won it in the inaugural stage six years ago and in 2015.

Morales though remained guarded.

"I can't celebrate until the race is finish. I have to be extra cautious and ride intelligently," said Morales in Filipino.

Joven wound up seventh in the stage in 1:10:54 to eat some minutes from Roque's nine-minute edge.

The proud son of Iriga, Camarines Sur has an overall time of 38:47:57, or now just seven minutes off Roque.

Completing the top 10 were Sepnio (38:55:05), Navy's Daniel Ven Carino (38:59:07), Dimaano (38:59:24), Navy's Lloyd Lucien Reynante (38:59:54), Navy's Ronald Lomotos (39:00:20, Ilocos Sur's Ryan Serapio (39:01:27) and Kinetix Lab-Army's Reynaldo Navarro (39:02:44).

Ronda is staking P1 million to the champion courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Partas, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management.