FILE – Ronda Pilipinas action.
MANILA, Philippines—The LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2022 returns to the action on Friday with top Filipino cyclists on tap following a year of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 10-stage race will start in Sorsogon City and end on March 20 up north in Baguio City.
Sorsogon’s leg will start with the 12.3-kilometer Individual Time Trial at 8 am and then proceeding to the 59.4km Team Trial at 1 pm with both races starting at the Provincial Capitol and ending at Rampeolas Boulevard.
Defending champion George Oconer and 2019 winner Ronald Oranza of Navy Standard Insurance lead the 104 cyclists from 13 teams in the 2022 race that has a P3.5 million cash purse including the P1 million champion’s purse.
“Expect a thrilling race because we’re all excited for the return of LBC Ronda Pilipinas after we were forced to move it this year due to the pandemic,” said LBC Ronda project director Bernadette Guerrero.
Apart from Oconer and Oranza other names who are considered as strong contenders for the title are Dominic Perez and Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold, Santy Barnachea and Jan Paul Morales of Excellent Noodles, Marvin Tapic and Cris Joven of Army, Rudy Roque of Dreyna, Sherwin Carrera of Eagle Cement, Warren Bordeos of Champs Café and Marcelo Felipe and Rustom Lim of Team Nueva Ecija.
Ronda will move on to the 163km Sorsogon-Lergazpi Stage Three, the 189.1km Legazpi-Daet Stage Four, 212km Daet-Lucena Stage Five, and 157.4km Lucena-Tagaytay Stage Six.