Ronald Lomotos, Junrey Navarra and El Joshua Carino raise their arms after a 1-2-3 finish. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
LUCENA—Mark Julius Bordeos of Bicycology-Army stormed back to the individual lead while Standard Insurance-Navy used a 1-2-3 finish in Stage Four to reclaim the top spot in the team classification stage here on Wednesday in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race.
Ronald Lomotos, 25, topped the testy 206-kilometer stage that started in Daet, Camarines Norte, drawing with him fellow Navymen Junrey Navarra and El Joshua Carino to the finish line in four hours, 56 minutes and 28 seconds to propel Standard to the team lead in dominant fashion.
The Navymen now have an aggregate clocking of 51:00:54, almost three minutes ahead of the erstwhile leader 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines (51:03:43).
“It’s our time to shine,” said Carino, who seized the King of the Mountain lead from Celeste Cycles’ Roel Quitoy.
Bicycology was at No. 3 with 51:04:12, with Bordeos putting the team on top of the individual race anew after wheeling in at the 4:57:31 mark with the 18-man second group.
That clocking stripped the red jersey off Scratch It’s Jerry Aquino, who grabbed the overall lead in Stage Three from Bordeos, The 24-year-old Bordeos, who took the lead in the first two stages, has total time of 14:41:17, just six seconds ahead of George Oconer of Standard Insurance and Rustom Lim of 7Eleven, who have identical times of 14:41:23.
“Nice to have the jersey back,” said Bordeos, who zoomed to the top by ruling Stage One in Sorsogon on Sunday.Aquino, who ruled the Naga race on Tuesday in a dramatic takeover of the individual lead, skidded to fifth with 14:42:07, behind No. 4 Marcelo Felipe of 7Eleven (14:41:39).
In towing Standard Insurance to the team lead, Lomotos found a groove he felt he lost after he was disqualified two years ago for drafting.
“After [that incident], it was all downhill for me. I hope this win helps me to get back [my] confidence,” said Lomotos.