Korean tops uneventful 10th stage of Ronda

BAGUIO CITY—Korean Jae Yeon-im showed the way home for a breakaway pack of sprinters to win the 10th stage of the Ronda Pilipinas International 2014 Wednesday while Mark Galedo of 7-Eleven Continental Cycling Team kept the overall lead by staying with his rivals throughout the 21-lap ride that started and ended at Burnham Park.

Jae, who rides for Uijeongbu City Cycling Team, completed the 66-kilometer criterium held on the up-and-down avenues of the country’s summer capital in one hour, 27 minutes and 32 seconds.

Track specialist Jan Paul Morales of Philippine Navy Standard Insurance checked in second and Taiwanese rider Chen Chien Liang of Gusto Continental Team wound up third with the same clocking as Jae, who earlier ruled the seventh stage from Valenzuela City to Tarlac City.

“I rode along with the peloton and made my move in the last lap,’’ said Jae, who started the day in 45th place almost an hour behind Galedo.

Except for a late surge by defending champ Irish Valenzuela and three-time Tour winner Santy Barnachea, the stage proved uneventful with Galedo and his chief pursuers holding on to their positions despite finishing nearly two minutes off the lap winner.

Galedo, a two-time Tour champion, still led Riemon Lapaza of Cycleline Butuan Mindanao by 1:12 and stayed 3:42 ahead of French mountain climber Peter Pouly.

“We need to stick with the plan for [Friday’s] race,’’ said Galedo, the 2012 Ronda champion who held the coveted red shirt as overall leader for the fifth straight lap.

Thursday’s 11th stage is a difficult 95.8-km ascent which ends at Baguio’s steep Green Valley Hotel from San Fernando, La Union, via Marcos Highway.

“Tomorrow (today) will be a big day,’’ said Pouly, the biggest threat to Galedo’s title bid after ruling the ninth stage through Kennon Road Monday. With four stages left, Valenzuela remained confident after finishing in the company of Jae and Morales.

“It’s not yet over. I’ll fight to the end,’’ said Valenzuela, who stood 10th overall, 9:17 behind after starting the day at 10:51 back.

Barnachea, the foxy Philippine Navy leader, jumped from sixth to fourth overall, 4:21 off the pace, followed by Marcelo Felipe of Road Bike Philippines at fifth place (4:54 behind), Ronald Oranza of PLDT Maynilad (5:31), Navy’s George Oconer (5:55), 7-Eleven’s Mark Bordeos (7:41) and PLDT’s Rustom Lim (8:07).

Navy dislodged 7-Eleven from the top in the team race with a 14-second lead.

Stage Individual Classification 1. Im, Jae-Yeon (UJB) 1:27:32, 2. Morales, Jan Paul (PNS) same time, 3. Chen Chien Liang (GCT) same time, 4. Christie, Jason (CCN) same time, 5. Lim, Rustom (PMP) same time, 6. Oranza, Ronald (PMP) same time, 7. Joven, Cris (7EL) same time, 8. Misbah, Muhamad Rauf Nur (MNT) same time, 9. Feng Chun Kai (GCT) same time, 10. Valenzuela, Irish (PAR) same time.

Overall Individual Classification 1. Galedo, Mark (7EL) 33:52:10, 2. Lapaza, Riemon (CBM) 1:12 behind, 3. Pouly, Peter (ISC) 3:42, 4. Barnachea, Santy (PNS) 4:21, 5. Felipe, Marcelo (RBP) 4:54, 6. Oranza, Ronald (PMP) 5:31, 7. Oconer, George (PNS) 5:55, 8. Bordeos, Mark (7EL) 7:41, 9. Lim, Rustom (PMP) 8:07, 10. Valenzuela, Irish (PAR) 10:51.