SIPALAY CITY—Large screaming photos of his father’s victory in the Tour adorn the house of Jaybop Pagnanawon in Talisay, Cebu.
It was Pagnanawon’s source of inspiration in winning the opening stage of the Ronda Pilipinas 2015 Visayas qualifying leg here Wednesday.
“I see my father’s victory photos everyday and I told myself that I want to be like him,” said Pagnanawon in Filipino, whose father Rolando won the 1986 Marlboro Tour.
Pagnanawon pedaled furiously in the last several hundred meters to finish a wheel ahead of 2013 Ronda winner Irish Valenzuela in a wild sprint duel.
Pagnanawon, 26, clocked four hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds, just a second ahead of Valenzuela.
Baler Ravina of the 7-Eleven/Road Bike Philippines placed third, arriving two seconds behind the lap winner after the 172.7-kilometer ride from Dumaguete City to this Negros Occidental city famous for its white sand and pristine beaches.
“My father told me to always stay in front and ride with the veterans,” added Pagnanawon.
Racing on a route littered with road works on a hot but windy day, that’s exactly what the second-generation rider did.
Pagnanawon joined Ravina and Philippine Army’s Alvin Benosa and Valenzuela when they sprinted away from the fast-moving lead pack of 19 riders after the final climb 10 km to the finish.
With a burst of speed in the final straightaway, Pagnanawon surged ahead and clinched his first career stage victory in a multistage bikathon.
Benosa placed fourth, 29 seconds behind Pagnanawon, followed by Ryan Boots Cayubit of 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines (52 seconds behind), Reynaldo Navarro (1:28), Kenneth Solis (1:33), Cris Joven (1:34), Leonel Dimaano (same time) and Denver Casayuran (1:35).
Pagnanawon, the overall leader in the sprints and king of the mountain, had reached the podium before by finishing third in a stage twice in Ronda 2012 and 2013, but never got to wear the overall leader’s red jersey.
“I’m not sure if I could defend it (red jersey). But I’m very familiar with tomorrow’s (today) stage,” said Pagnanawon who, along with siblings Junvi and Jetley, rides for Team Negros where their father is the team manager.
Today’s second stage is a 156.6 km ride from Bacolod City and back after passing through the town of Murcia and San Carlos City. The lap features two steep climbs and a pair of tricky downhill drives on the Don Salvador Benedicto mountain pass overlooking Mt. Canlaon.
Edalson Ellorem topped the 120-km race for junior riders that ended on the provincial border approaching Sipalay in three hours, nine minutes and 24 seconds. Daniel Ven placed second, 1:28 behind, and Egilbert Enarciso finished third, 1:39 back.
The winner and the qualifiers in the Visayas will be known Friday when the surviving riders travel on a high-velocity race on the flatlands of Talisay City and Victorias from Bacolod going to Cadiz City (123.2 km).
Ronda will then proceed to the Luzon leg where 34 slots (30 elite, four juniors) are available following a 138.9 km Tarlac-Tarlac ride on the first stage on Feb. 16 and a hilly 102.5 km trek in Antipolo City the next day.
All 88 qualifiers from the Visayas and Luzon will advance to the eight-lap championship stage on Feb. 22 to 28.
They will race with defending champion Reimon Lapaza of Butuan, the nine-man national team headed by 2012 champion Mark Galedo and a composite European bunch composed chiefly of Danish riders for the P1-million individual winner’s purse.
Stage Individual Classification: Pagnanawon, Jaybop 4:25:10, 2. Valenzuela, Irish 0:01 behind, 3. Ravina, Jonipher 0:02, 4. Benosa, Alvin 0:29, 5. Cayubit, Ryan 0:52, 6. Navarro, Reynaldo 1:28, 7. Solis, Kenneth 1:33, 8. Joven, Cris 1:34, 9. Dimaano, Leonel same time, 10. Casayuran, Denver 1:35