Oranza, Navy bets pad Ronda lead

ROXAS CITY—Ronald Oranza tightened his grip of the overall lead by seizing the longest stage in the Visayas leg of the 2016 LBC Ronda Pilipinas.

Safely tucked in the peloton at the onset, Oranza mounted a late attack with his Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance teammates that set him up for a triumphant solo breakaway finish in Tuesday’s stage 3.

“It was a difficult winding course,” said the top Navy rider,  who clocked three hours, 15 minutes and 53.53 seconds after the blistering 121.50-kilometer ride from Iloilo City.

“I prayed for strength and energy to win this lap and my prayer got answered,” added Oranza, who also won the opening stage in Bago City, Negros Occidental.

The 22-year-old from Villasis, Pangasinan, sprinted ahead of a four-man breakaway pack some five kilometers to the finish and was never challenged the rest of the way.

Navy again swept podium honors with skipper Lloyd Lucien Reynante checking in second, 46 seconds behind Oranza, and Joel Calderon third, two minutes back.

Overall, Oranza has 43 points in the general classification race while teammate Rudy Roque, who wound up fifth in the lap, compiled 35 points.

Trailing them are Navy’s John Paul Morales (20 points), Reynante (20), El Joshua Carino, also of Navy with 19, Team LBC/MVP’s Ronald Lomotos (19), Calderon (18), Team LBC’s Rustom Lim (15) and Navy’s Jhon Mark Camingao (11).

Thursday’s fourth stage will be an individual time trial here in Roxas City.