THIRTEEN teams will see action in the 11th edition of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas, a 10-stage race offering a total pot of P3.5 million set to start on March 11 in Sorsogon City and conclude in Baguio on March 22.
Navy Standard Insurance will defend the title it won in the last edition of the cycling spectacle two years ago, with George Oconer defending the overall individual crown.
Ronald Oranza, the 2019 champion, will skipper the loaded Navy squad that also features El Joshua Carino, Ronald Lomotos, Junrey Navarra, John Mark Camingao, Esteve Hora and Jeremy Lizardo.
Other teams to watch out for are Go for Gold, which will be led by Dominic Perez, Jonel Carcueva and Boots Ryan Cayubit, and Excellent Noodles, which will be bannered by Santy Barnachea and Jan Paul Morales, who have won a combined five Ronda crowns.
Completing the cast are Philippine Army, Team Nueva Ecija, Dreyna, Eagle Cement, Champ Café, Bike Kings Laguna, Vantage Ilocos Norte, VPharma, Team Quezon Province and Team Ilocos Sur.
The overall individual champion will bag P1 million, with P400,000 going to the runner-up and P200,000 to the second runner-up.
The team champion gets P200,000 in the race presented by LBC Express, Inc. and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Quad X, Twin Cycle Gear, Standard Insurance, Print2Go, Elves Bicycles, Elitewheels, Orome, Maynilad and Garmin.
Petron Boy Kanin, Green Planet Bikeshop, Prolite, Black Mamba, Lightwater and LBC Foundation are also backing the event, along with the PhilCycling and Games and Amusements Board.
Ronda will unfold with a Stage One Individual Time Trial and Team Time Trial on March 11 in Sorsogon followed by the 163-kilometer Sorsogon-Legazpi City Stage Three on March 12 and 189.1km Legazpi-Daet Stage Four on March 13.
It will be followed by the 212km Daet-Lucena Stage Five on March 14 and 157.4km Lucena-Tagaytay Stage Six on March 15.
After a one-day break, the race resumes with the 180.4km Tarlac-Baler Stage Seven on March 17, 174.4km Baler-Echgue, Isabela Stage Eight on March 18, 193.2km Santiago, Isabela-Baguio Stage Nine on March 19 and Baguio City Stage 10 criterium on March 20.
