Oranza tops Ronda Visayas leg

ROXAS CITY—Ronald Oranza counted on self-prowess and the depth of his team to reach the pinnacle of success in local cycling.

The racing marvel with Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance ruled the Visayas leg of the 2016 LBC Ronda Pilipinas yesterday, having dominated rivals over mostly flat terrain.

Oranza, a former bike mechanic from Villasis, Pangasinan, breezed through the final stage in style —in the ruby red leader’s jersey he seized in the first stage in Bago City, Negros Occidental, and never relinquished.

“I felt confident of winning even before the final stage began,” said the 22-year-old Oranza of his first Tour win since joining the Ronda in 2012.

Rustom Lim of Team LBC-MVP prevailed in the fifth and last stage, an individual time trial contested along the city’s major roads.

Lim timed 49 minutes, 13.2 seconds in the 42-kilometer race against the clock to beat Navy’s Lloyd Lucien Reynante by 26 seconds and teammate Rudy Roque by 28.

Oranza—who earned a total of P104,000—finished fourth in the stage, just 38 seconds off Lim. Overall, Oranza, wound up with 53 points.

Roque had 47 points and Lim 41.

The Navymen put on a fine display of collective strength, like they did in the Mindanao leg two weeks ago.

Joel Calderon, also of Navy, was fourth with 37 points, followed by Reynante with 34, Jan Paul Morales (29), Ronald Lomotos of Team LBC (27), Navy’s El Joshua Cariño (25), Jhon Mark Camingao (24) and Daniel Ven Cariño (19).