Oranza, Navy eye Visayas leg sweep

ROXAS CITY, Philippines – Ronald Oranza and his Navy-Standard Insurance team gun for a sweep of the top individual awards as LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 wraps up its Visayas leg today with two stages at the Robinsons Place here.

Oranza, 22, topped the 121.5km Iloilo-Roxas Stage Three Tuesday in three hours, 15 minutes, 53.53 seconds to pull away from the pack in the battle for the overall championship with 43 points, eight points up on teammate Rudy Roque.

It was the Villasis, Pangasinan native’s second lap win in the Visayas swing of the three-stage circuit and third podium finish after ruling the Stage One criterium in Bago City, Negros Occidental last Friday. He also placed second to Roque in the Stage Two criterium in Iloilo City Sunday.

But Oranza is expected to still pour it out in Stage Four, another citerium that requires each and every rider to ride in the 2.71-km loop for one hour plus three more laps, in the morning, as well as in Stage Five, a 42-km individual time trial, in the afternoon as he tries to zero in on a very first championship.

“I can feel it,” said Oranza of his chances for the coveted crown.

Behind by eight, Roque has practically given up the fight and will just help ensure the victory for his teammate.

“I just want someone from Navy to win it,” said the 23-year-old Roque.

Two more Navymen, Mindanao leg champion Jan Paul Morales and team captain Lloyd Lucien Reynante, are tied at third with 20 points and both agreed only a mishap could stymie Oranza’s title drive.

“It will be tough to dislodge him (Oranza) from the top,” said the 30-year-old Morales.

“Knock on wood but I think only a flat tire or a crash can slow him down,” said Reynante.

Navy’s rival Team LBC-MVP Sports Foundation continued to struggle with its current best rider Ronald Lomotos at No. 6 with 19 points, 24 off the pace.