STA. ROSA, Laguna—Close to a hundred riders answer the starting gun today as they chase personal glory and the P1 million that comes with it in the Ronda Pilipinas 2015 presented by LBC from here to Atimonan, Quezon.
For a change, there won’t be prize money for teams to discourage backdoor plots that often decides the overall winner at the end of the race. Instead, focus will be on individual pursuit in the eight-stage six-day championship phase.
But it’s not expected to stop riders from making unholy alliances especially since the cyclists will still be divided in 11 teams with nine riders each.
Top clubs like 7-Eleven, Team Cebu, Navy and the Philippine team will remain intact and despite it all, their conspiracies will certainly provide a dramatic backdrop to the action on the road.
Usually held in summer, this year’s cycling season was pushed earlier in the calendar with Ronda Pilipinas serving as its fitting finale. It will also hold the last stage in scenic Baguio City, doing away from the tradition of going to Rizal Park for an anticlimactic finishing lap.
Last year’s champion Reimon Lapaza rose to the top despite being in a minor team like Cycle Line Butuan.
Now, he is among the marked men along with 2013 champion and Southeast Asian Games champion Mark Galedo, 2012 titlist Irish Valenzuela and 2011 winner Santy Barnachea.
But they will be up against a gritty bunch of new riders like Boots Ryan Cayubit and Ronald Oranza, who stood out during the Luzon and Visayas qualifier.
Lito Patayan of CLB said they have prepared well for this year because they finally had sponsors. But Lapaza will miss his wing man in Vicmar Vicente, who died last year in an accident.