LBC Ronda hits road Sept. 24

MANILA, Philippines - The LBC Ronda Pilipinas, the biggest cycling road race in the last decade, hits the road Sept. 24, with 96 riders, composed of veterans and a new generation of cycling heroes, vying for a record purse of P7 million in the 12-stage, 1,650 km race of key cities of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The inaugural event, presented by LBC Express, Inc., the leading courier firm, fired off yesterday in formal ceremonies led by Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and LBC Express executives to present the 96 riders grouped into 16 teams culled from rigid eliminations last summer.

A fun ride gave cycling buffs and fans a feel of the 16-day spectacle, which will kick off with the Cagayan de Oro leg on Sept. 24 and wind up in Manila on Oct. 8.

The individual champion will receive a whopping P1M tax-free purse, with the same amount going to the team champion. The top 20 finishers in the individual category will earn prizes, with the second winning P500,000, third P250,000, fourth P125,000 and fifth P100,000. The second to fifth placers in team competition receive P500,000, P250,000, P100,000 and P90,000. All participating teams will receive awards.