Tour leaders keep posts; hot Millanes steals show

SAN FERNANDO, La Union ,Philippines  – American Vinyl’s sprint specialist Joseph Millanes launched his attack in the last 50kms and sustained his pace to clinch lap honors even as Joel Calderon and George Oconer bucked flat tires to keep their 1-2 positions after Stage Seven of the 2011 LBC Ronda Pilipinas here yesterday.

Millanes ruled the bumpy, flood-hit 142.4km race from Tarlac City – where he was cheered on by his kin and provincemates in Moncada – in three hours, seven minutes and 4.5 seconds to pocket the top lap purse of P50,000.

“Coach (Renato Dolosa) told me that since I’m the sprinter in this team, I should make the move early and take the lap and that’s what I did,” said Millanes in Filipino, at 30 the oldest member of his team.

“I’m also happy and a little bit inspired when I saw my family and friends when I passed by Moncada,” he added.

Millanes, the Sprint King in the 2009 Tour ruled by Calderon, made his move in Rosario, La Union and showed his sprinting prowess to beat Tots Oledan of 7-Eleven (3:07:19.9) and Tarlac’s Daniel Asto (3:07:20.1), who edged Cebu’s Albert Basirgo for third place.

Calderon, the 2009 Tour champion and skipper of Nueva Ecija, and Oconer, the Phl Under-23 team captain, suffered flat tires but got big help from their teammates as they finished in the main 48-man group that included the tour’s big guns in American Vinyl’s Rudy Roque and Cris Joven, 7-Eleven’s Irish Valenzuela and Lloyd Lucien Reynante, East Pangasinan’s Baler Ravina and Stage Six winner Warren Davadilla of the National Capital Region.

“I had a flat tire in Rosario but my teammates (Oscar) Rendole and (Alfredo) Asuncion were there to support and help me get back into the race,” said Calderon, 30.

The 19-year-old Oconer, on the other hand, relied on teammate Gerald Mendoza, who gave up his tire to allow the former to get back into the race.

Mendoza only re-joined the race after the team’s service car arrived minutes later. He wound up third to the last among the 91 Ronda survivors.

“I was waiting for our team car but it wasn’t there. I’m just happy to see Gerald (Mendoza). He gave up his tire for me to be able to get back into the race,” said Oconer.

Meanwhile, the third-running Valenzuela, winner of Stage Four and runner-up in Stages Three and Six, vows to attack in the two killer ascents in Baguio – Stage Nine’s Vigan-Baguio and Stage 10’s Agoo, La Union-Baguio.

“I’m just happy to be in the top three because everyone knows everything will be decided in the Baguio climbs,” said Valenzuela.

The Tabaco, Albay native who ruled the Tour of Camsur early this year is noted for his climbing skills, having won the King of the Mountain title in the 2006 Tour where he eventually finished second overall in his rookie year.

After Stage Seven, Calderon remains on top with an aggregate clocking of 22:29:51 while Oconer is right behind with 22:30:05 followed by Valenzuela with 22:31:27.

Valenzuela also paces both the Magnolia Purewater King of the Mountain and Air Asia Sprint divisions.

Rounding up the Top 10 are Roque (22:32:15), former two-time champion Santy Barnachea (22:33:05) of East Pangasinan, former Tour winner Arnel Quirimit (22:35:33) of Central and Western Pangasinan, Bicol’s Alvin Benosa (22:36:05), Ravina (22:37:12), Joven (22:37:28) and Reynante (22:37:45).

American Vinyl, the 2009 team champion, continued to lead the way in the overall team category with an aggregate time of 67:41:06 ahead of 7-Eleven (67:46:27), Nueva Ecija (67:53:57), NCR Standard (68:02:33), Central and Western Pangasinan (68:04:34), Cebu (68:06:31), Tarlac (68:06:43), Bicol (68:10:43), East Pangasinan (68:15:34) and Ilocos Sur (68:29:49).

The LBC Ronda resumes today with the 129.63km Stage Eight starting here and ending in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

The 12-leg, 20-day event is staking a total cash pot of P7 million with the individual and team champions receiving P1 million apiece courtesy of main sponsor LBC Hari ng Padala and backers Rudy Project, Air Asia.com, Magnolia Purewater, Versa two-way radios and Starlite Ferries, Inc. with The Philippine STAR, C! and AKTV as media partners.