Ronda: No stopping PH Navy cyclists

ROXAS CITY—Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance has conquered every major challenge in the 2016 LBC Ronda Pilipinas Visayas leg.

And there’s a probability that the trend will continue in the final two stages.

Overall leader Ronald Oranza and the Navymen are again the favorites to dominate today’s Stage 4 criterium race on the flat route of the city’s main thoroughfare.

“There’s no guarantee until this race is over,” said Oranza, the leader’s red-jersey holder with 43 points in the general classification.

The 27 surviving riders will race on a 2.71-kilometer loop on Immaculate Heart of Mary Avenue for one hour plus three laps to determine the stage winner.

Though declaring success at this point is still premature, victory is close at hand with Navy’s Rudy Roque (35 points), Jan Paul Morales (20), skipper Lloyd Reynante (20) and El Joshua Carino (19) occupying the next four slots in the individual standing.

So far, Ronald Lomotos of Team LBC/MVP is the only threat outside Navy at sixth overall with 19 points, mathematically probable but near to impossible with the solid teamwork that Oranza and company have been showing.

“Again, we have to execute our race plan and get to the podium,” said Reynante.

2009 Le Tour champion Joel Calderon, also from Navy, moved up to seventh overall (18 points) followed by Rustom Lim of Team LBC (15), Jhon Mark Camingao (11), Julius Mark Bonzo (11) and George Oconer (9), last year’s Ronda GC runner-up.