Korean rider Jae shines

TARLAC CITY—Korean rider Jae Yeon-im banked on his sprinting prowess to rule Stage 7 Saturday even as Mark Galedo of 7-Eleven Continental Cycling Team floated with the peloton to retain the overall lead in the Ronda Pilipinas 2014.

Jae, a track specialist from Uijeongbu City Cycling Team, burst out of the pack in the last straightaway and held off Taiwanese sprinters Hsiao Shih-hsin, who came in second, and third-placer Chen Chien-liang in a mad dash to the finish.

“The weather was really punishing. I just stayed with the peloton and attacked in the final 500 meters,” said the 22-year-old Korean sprint champion, who clocked four hours and 52 seconds at the end of the mostly flat 172-km from Valenzuela City.

Galedo finished the stage in the company of most of his rivals to keep the red jersey, Ronda’s symbol of overall leadership, for the second consecutive day.

A two-time Tour champion, Galedo said he hopes to stay in red when the 14-leg race ends in Marikina City on Feb. 16.

We did exactly what the team had set out to do—maintain the lead and prepare for the difficult stages,” said the 2012 Ronda winner.

Cycleline Butuan’s Riemon Lapaza, a dogged climber who has been one of the revelations in this Tour, remained second overall, 14 seconds behind, and Mark Julius Bordeos of 7-Eleven kept third, 2:26 back.

Three-time champ Santy Barnachea of Philippine Navy Standard Insurance  was fourth 3:08 behind, followed by Marcelo Felipe of Road Bike Philippines (3:56), Ronald Oranza of PLDT Maynilad (4:45), Navy’s George Oconer (4:55), French climber Peter Pouly of Infinite-Singha (5:40), Cycleline’s Vicmar Vicente (6:52) and Army’s Reynaldo Navarro (7:35).

Defending champion Irish Valenzuela of Philippine Army  finished in the same group with Galedo and stayed in 14th overall, 8:24 behind.

Stage Individual Classification: 1. Jae Yeon-im (UJB) 4:00:52, 2. Hsiao Shih-hsin (GCT) same time, 3. Chen Chien-liang (GCT) same time, 4. Catalan, Alfie (PAR) same time, 5. Zafri, Amirul Anuar (MNT) same time, 6. Morales, Jan Paul (PNS) same time, 7. Oconer, George (PNS) same time, 8. Aleonar, March Mcquinn (CBM) same time, 9. Nicolas, Edmundo Jr. (7EL) same time, 10. Ramos, Merculio (CBM) same time
Overall Individual Classification: 1. Galedo, Mark (7EL) 24:49:26, 2. Lapaza, Riemon (CBM) 0:14 behind, 3. Bordeos, Mark Julius (7EL) 2:26, 4. Barnachea, Santy (PNS) 3:08, 5. Felipe, Marcelo (RBP) 3:56, 6. Oranza, Ronald (PMP) 4:45, 7. Oconer, George (PNS) 4:55, 8. Pouly, Peter (ISC) 5:40, 9. Vicente, Vicmar (CBM) 6:52, 10. Navarro, Reynaldo (PAR) 7:35