MANILA, Philippines – Homegrown riders will be claiming a huge chunk of the P7.3 million prize offered in the Ronda Pilipinas International 2014 set to flag off Feb. 1 with a 66-kilometer criterium at Quezon City Memorial Circle.
Ronda organizers have dangled a P600,000 purse for the overall individual champion while another P600,000 will go to the team titlist after the grueling 14-stage, 16-day bikathon where seven foreign cycling teams are vying for supremacy.
Aside from that, the top Filipino rider stands to earn P400,000 while the best local squad will earn the same amount.
“We made sure that only a maximum of 60 percent of the prizes will be won by foreign riders or teams to give our local riders extra motivation and incentive to strive harder,” said Moe Chulani, Ronda’s Sports Development head.
The local challenge comes from defending team champion Roadbike Philippines, Team Philippine Army headed by defending Ronda champion Irish Valenzuela, 7-Eleven Continental Cycling Team led by 2012 champion Mark Galedo, who got a house and lot from cycling patron Bong Sual for winning a gold medal in the recent Southeast Asian Games.
Other homegrown squads bidding to rule the 1,776.1-km race in Luzon are Team Philippine Navy spearheaded by 2011 Ronda champion Santy Barnachea, PLDT-Maynilad Pro Cycling Team, Team Cycleline Butuan Mindanao and Team Cebu-Kalit Philippine Air Force.