Fighting Irish is Ronda champ
By June Navarro
Falling short in his previous attempt by a mere 33 seconds, Irish Valenzuela yesterday formalized his enthronement in the pantheon of Filipino cycling heroes.
Falling short in his previous attempt by a mere 33 seconds, Irish Valenzuela yesterday formalized his enthronement in the pantheon of Filipino cycling heroes.
Irish Valenzuela ruled the punishing individual time trial in yesterday’s Stage 15 and all but seized the 2013 Ronda Pilipinas individual title by opening a huge lead going into the concluding leg here today.
Crowned King of the Mountain the past two years, nothing would please Irish Valenzuela more than to continue his reign.
Under threat from a pack of gutsy young riders, climb specialist Irish Valenzuela will need more than skill and stamina to keep the overall lead before the Ronda Pilipinas reaches the end of the road in the mountains.
After seizing the red jersey in the Visayas, Irish Valenzuela of LPGMA-American Vinyl expressed confidence of holding on to the overall lead of the Ronda Pilipinas until the bikathon hits the toughest climbs ahead.
Irish Valenzuela of LPGMA-American Vinyl grabbed the overall lead by finishing second behind El Joshua Cariño of PLDT, who ruled what turned out to be a punishing and decisive Stage 5 of the 2013 Ronda Pilipinas here yesterday.
After hurdling two critical mountain stages, Mark Galedo and Irish Valenzuela are bringing the suspense of their duel for the Ronda Pilipinas crown in the flatlands.
Homesick for more than a month, Irish Valenzuela capped his first lap victory in the Ronda Pilipinas with a warm embrace from his father.
With a podium finish in the mountains highly unlikely, Joseph Millanes struck hard where he does it best.
Nineteen-year-old George Oconer outsprinted veteran Irish Valenzuela in a thrilling sprint to the finish Saturday to rule the 5th stage and inch closer to the LBC 2011 Ronda Pilipinas overall leadership.
CALAPAN CITY—Exploding in the final 800 meters to the hilltop finish line, Irish Valenzuela, officially Team 7-11’s No. 2 rider, wound up first in the fourth stage of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas Friday. Valenzuela launched a furious assault to steal the stage victory from Bicolandia’s Alvin Benosa, who suffered a flat tire just as he [...]
GUANGZHOU—The country’s cycling bid took a 90-degree turn for the worse. Irish Valenzuela lost his chance to contend for a podium finish in cycling’s road race event when he got caught in the bottom half of a peloton that was furiously split by a crash that took place in a rare turn in the final [...]
