P7.3M purse staked in Ronda Pilipinas International race

MANILA, Philippines - The Ronda Pilipinas International 2014 will stake P7.3 million in total prize money for its 14-stage, 16-day race that unfolds on Feb. 1 with a 66-kilometer Stage One criterium at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The overall individual champion will take home P600,000, the same amount the overall team titlist stands to receive in the 2014 Ronda Pilipinas, which is presented by LBC, the largest courier and cargo company, along with sponsors MVP Sports Foundation, NLEX, Maynilad, PLDT and Mitsubishi, Versa 2 Way Radio, and Standard Insurance.

To ensure that Filipinos get a fair share of the total pot, organizers have also allotted P400,000 to the top Filipino rider and the same amount to the best Filipino team of this race that drew participation from seven international squads including one from The Netherlands and seven local teams.

“We made it a point that only a maximum of 60 percent of the prizes will be won by foreign riders or teams to give our local riders extra incentive and motivation to strive harder,” said Moe Chulani, Sports Development head of Ronda Pilipinas.

The Top 20 riders in the individual overall race of this event sanctioned by PhilCycling are also set to receive prizes with the second to 10th placers netting P300,000, P150,000, P60,000, P54,000, P48,000, P42,000, P36,000, P30,000 and P24,000, respectively.

The Top Eight finishers in the team event also get a purse with the Top Five receiving P600,000, P300,000, P150,000, P100,000 and P80,000.

The Top 10 individual Filipino cyclists will pocket P400,000, P200,000, P100,000, P40,000, P36,000, P32,000, P28,000, P24,000, P20,000 and P16,000 while the Top Four Phl teams will win P400,000, P200,000, P100,000 and P60,000.

A stage win will be equivalent to P30,000 with the next 19 getting prizes. The top Filipino stage finisher gets P20,000 while the next nine also receiving a purse.

The Top Three in the Best Young or Under-23 Rider, Sprint, and King of the Mountain are allotted P100,000, P60,000 and P40,000.

The seven foreign teams participating are Japan’s Matrix Powertag Continental Team, The Netherlands’ Dutch Global Cycling Team, Chinese Taipei’s Gusto Continental Team, the Malaysian National Team, Thailand-registered CNN Continental Cycling Team, South Korea’s Uijeongbu City Cycling Team and Infinite-Singha Cycling Team.

The local challenge will come from Team Phl Army headed by reigning Ronda champion Irish Valenzuela, 7-Eleven Continental Cycling Team spearheaded by second edition titlist and Southeast Asian Games

gold medalist Mark Galedo, Team Phl Navy Standard Insurance led by first Ronda king Santy Barnachea, PLDT-Maynilad Pro Cycling Team composed of the LBC U-23 squad, Team Cycleline Butuan Mindanao and Roadbike Phl and Team Cebu-Kalit Phl Air Force.