Eyes focused, heads ducked low, while the cheers of onlookers, the meshing of metal teeth on metal chains, rubber, and concrete resonate. Along with it emanates a fiery spirit and fortitude—no, this is not a description of the trailer for the next part of the Transformers franchise, but a tiny slice of what is quickly becoming known as the Tour De France of the Philippines: Ronda Pilipinas, presented by LBC.
Close to 100 men from all over the world competed in this grueling test of will, speed, and stamina—and vied for the right to be named champion of the country’s premier cycling race series. This was also a test that highlighted the improvement of the nation’s cyclists because this is the first Ronda that pitted our local cycling heroes against international participants in our home turf.
At the recent concluded awarding, Riemon Lapaza of Cycleline Butuan Mindanao took home the Best Overall Individual Rider Red Jersey, (and prizes amounting to more than 1,000,000) with his aggregate time of 45:41:23. Lapaza stepped up on stage as round of applause erupted from fans and spectators. A little more than a minute behind was Frenchman Peter Pouly of Infinite-Singha Continental with 45:42:04, while SEA games gold-medalist Mark John Lexer Galedo of 7-Eleven Continental Cycling Team nabbed the third podium spot with 45:43:08.
Lapaza made Philippine Cycling history for being the first Mindanaoan to best everyone in an international race in the Philippines.
In the team standings, Filipino clubs dominated the competition, taking all three podium spots. Philippine Navy Standard Insurance bested them all with a total time of 137:18:56. PLDT-Maynilad Pro Cycling Team took second with 137:21:48 and 7-Eleven Continental secured third with 137:31:14.
Among the International Riders, two proudly wore the colored Jerseys on-stage. South Korean phenom Im Jae Yeon of UiJeongBu City Cycling Team strutted around in the Blue Jersey awarded to the tilt’s Sprint Points Leader, totaling 108, while France’s Peter Pouly was sporting the White Jersey of the King of the Mountain, with 71 points on the mountain sections.
PLDT-Maynilad Team Manager Cris Allison was very satisfied with his team’s performance. “Considering the youth of our team, placing second is beyond what we had expected,” Allison enthused. “It is, however, more important to note that the dominance of the Filipino teams in this international competition means that we are already competing at a world-class level,” he concluded.
The minds behind Ronda Pilipinas, LBC Express, Inc. President Dino Araneta and LBC Sports Development Head Moe Chulani were present during the awarding and gave a few words to the exhausted yet ultimately joyful riders and the general audience. “The values that the competitors and Ronda embody, such as strength, swiftness, and the determination to get to their destination is something that is very aligned with what LBC is all about,” Araneta said.
The fourth incarnation of Ronda took place all over Luzon, showcasing its beautiful landscapes to both local and foreign riders. The tilt started in Quezon City, then went through Laguna, Tagaytay, Baguio and many other locales before concluding in Marikina, where the award ceremony was held.
Indeed, it was a daunting task to put up an event as big as Ronda Pilipinas. “The challenge of organizing fourteen different legs in different locations all over Luzon is something that LBC is more than ready to take on,” Chulani enthused. “The company’s 60 years of experience and the renewed desire to move and affect lives, businesses, and communities, is enough for us be confident that we can pull it, and will always, pull it off.”
Though relatively new on the cycling scene, Ronda has already fielded some promising racers, Irish Valenzuela the reigning champion, as well as Mark John Lexer Galedo, winner in 2012, and recent gold medalist in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in the 50-kilometer Men’s Individual Time trial.
As the competition closed, organizers announced that next year’s Ronda Pilipinas will once again go across the entire archipelago and will start in Mindanao.
To find out more about Ronda Pilipinas, presented by LBC, please visit facebook.com/RondaPilipinas.
