TARLAC CITY—Mark John Lexer Galedo of 7-Eleven/Road Bike Philippines is craving for another precious Ronda Pilipinas hardware to adorn his crowded trophy room.
To reach peak form in time for the championship stage a week from now, Galedo, a three-time cycling Tour champion, is joining the Luzon qualifying of the Ronda Pilipinas which starts here Monday.
“I want to be in the best shape of my career and of course, it would be nice to have another (Tour) title,” said the 2012 winner of local cycling’s richest race, who has been seeded in the eight-lap championship phase set Feb. 22 to 28.
He’s also using the race for his buildup for the Singapore Southeast Asian Games in June where the pride of Caloocan is the defending individual time trial champion.
Eight of Galedo’s teammates in the national team have also secured spots in the championship stage along with defending champion Reimon Lapaza of Butuan City and a composite European group composed mostly of Danish riders.
At stake in the Luzon leg are 46 slots (40 elite riders and six juniors) who will complete the starting field of the championship stage that will start in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and end in Baguio.
Making it to the Tour proper earlier were 40 riders from the Visayas qualifying led by leg champion Ryan Cayubit, Marcelo Felipe of 7-Eleven/Road Bike Philippines and 2013 champion Irish Valenzuela.
Stage One of the Luzon leg is a 138.9-kilometer course starting from this provincial capital. It will end in a gruelling, two-kilometer uphill finish at the Monasterio de Tarlac in the municipality of San Jose.
Expected to race in the Luzon qualifier are three-time champion and 2011 Ronda winner Santy Barnachea, Lloyd Reynante, one-time champion Joel Calderon, Tomas Martinez, Harvey Sicam, Joseph Millanes, Tomas Martinez, Dante Cagas, Alfie Catalan, El Joshua Carino and Ferdinand Pablo.