BALER Ravina crosses the finish line ahead of Santy Barnachea. ROMY HOMILLADA
ANTIPOLO CITY—Just when no one was looking, the Pangasinan alliance struck.
Provincemates Santy Barnachea and Baler Ravina emerged as the new overall leader and Stage 3 winner, respectively, as they dominated a tortuous route to here from Lucena City Monday.
Both past Tour champions, they staged a two-man breakaway after just 50 kilometers out of Lucena. At the foot of Mount Banahaw, they forged a deal to help pace each other before scaling the first of three King of the Mountain climbs in Louisiana, Quezon, and kept it till the end.
The Uminggan native Barnachea (Navy), the 2011 Ronda champion, admitted that he sought the help of Ravina (7-11), who hails from Asingan, to deal the 171.1 km route that featured alternating long flat stretches and major climbs.
“I told him let’s just continue. But when I saw that we are pulling away, I told him ‘let’s get it,’” said Barnachea in Filipino. He also proved to have gained more as he snatched the red jersey from George Oconer with a hefty eight-minute lead.
Going into Monday’s stage, Barnachea was at second place just six seconds away from the youthful Oconer.
The route through what is called the “backdoor to Manila” was particularly heart-breaking for defending champion Reimon Lapaza of Cycline Line Butuan who abandoned early in the leg.
He has been complaining of flu-like symptoms after the twin-stages Sunday. But when the race reached Lucban, Lapaza decided he could not go any further and rode the ambulance vehicle.
That paved the way for a new champion this year. And conspicuously, Banachea, the competition’s maiden champ, made his presence felt.
“We have been training as a team since August and we pass through this route regularly,” said the 38-year-old Barnachea, one of the oldest riders in the field.
Known as a smart rider with speed and lung power, Barnachea may have also known that the same stage served a launch pads for the successful bids of 2012 champion Irish Valenzuela and 2013 titlist Mark Galedo.
His lead is expected to provide cushion going into the fourth stage, a mostly flat route from Malolos, Bulacan, to Tarlac City. Aside from the minutes, Barnachea has four other teammates in the top 10 overall. Ravina is 12th overall, 16 minutes away from Barnachea.