Ronda Pilipinas: Morales wins Luzon leg

2016 Ronda Pilipinas. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BAGUIO CITY—Jan Paul Morales had seen the road map to success in his mind even before the race culminated.

The soft-spoken Navy-Standard Insurance rider flaunted his might in another high-speed chase and ruled Saturday’s final stage to convincingly bag the 2016 Ronda Pilipinas Luzon leg title.

“From the start, I knew I have the ability to win,” said Morales, embracing the metal-plated general classification trophy. “This is my best year, I’m in top shape.”

The 30-year-old sprint expert soloed it home in the fifth stage—a 2.7-kilometer criterium ride on streets of the famed Burnham Park—with a clocking of one hour, seven minutes and 16.59 seconds.

Rustom Lim of LBC-MVP Sports Foundation ferociously chased Morales in the last two laps but couldn’t duplicate his fourth stage victory Friday to wind up second for the day, 38 seconds behind the winner.

Ronald Lomotos of LBC-MVPSF also made it to the podium at third after crossing the line 39 seconds later.

Lim finished second in the GC with 49 points and teammate George Oconer placed third overall with 41.

Morales, the Mindanao leg champion, compiled 67 points to complete a double victory in this year’s triple-leg Ronda.

“I admit that I was a little bit tired after the third stage (in Antipolo), but was able to recover here in Baguio,”said Morales, who also won the first three stages of the five-stage bikathon.

For his Luzon feat, Morales earned P166,000 that included winnings in the sprint and best local rider side events while Navy skipper Lloyd Lucien Reynante was crowned king of the mountain during the awarding ceremony attended by Baguio City mayor Maurice Domogan and Ronda project executive director Moe Chulani.

Jhon Mark Camingao of Standard Insurance ended up fourth overall in the bikathon organized by LBC Express and sanctioned by PhilCycling followed by Ronald Lomotos of LBC-MVPSF and Navy’s El Joshua Carino, Visayas leg champ Ronald Oranza, Rudy Roque and Reynante.

Julius Mark Bonzo and Ronnilan Quita of LBC-MVPSF finished 10th and 11th after the week-long race backed by Petron, Versa Radio-Tech 1 Corp, Maynilad and NLEX.

“I’ll definitely be back next year,”said Morales, looking ahead at the prospect of another win following his first two career Tour victories this summer