Baler Ravina leaned on his veteran legs and wily riding do the talking to rule the 160-km national open road championships of the PhilCycling (Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines) yesterday in Tagaytay City.
Ravina negotiated the tough and windy 160-km race with a time of four hours, 16 minutes and 55.97 seconds. He was five minutes clear of Thomas Martinez and Hilson Mangahas, who had identical clockings of 4:21:49.18.
The 27-year-old Ravina, from Asingan, Pangasinan, broke away from the lead group that included Martinez and Mangahas in windy conditions during the final pass at the Puting Kahoy in Lian, Batangas.
The race passed the towns of Nasugbu, Lian and Calatagan twice before returning to the start/finish line at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.
Ryan Serapio, meanwhile, won the 40-km mountain bike crosscountry competition with a clocking of 1:45:55.45.
Ricardo Samayo Jr. took second place with a time of 1:48:32.65 as Robert delos Reyes checked in at third with 1:49:35.35.