El Joshua Carino sparks Navy-Standard Insurance Stage 5 romp

SAN JOSE, Nueva Ecija – El Joshua Carino took Stage Five honors in Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC yesterday as teammates Ronald Oranza and Jan Paul Morales slowed down to secure an all Navy-Standard Insurance podium finish in front of the San Jose City Hall here.

Carino, 24, towed the first group that staged an early breakaway and sustained his charge in the last six kilometers before Oranza and Morales took over in the final 2km stretch before decelerating, enabling Carino to catch up and notch the lap win. They all clocked four hours, six minutes, 58 seconds in the 179.4-km lap from Echague, Isabela.

Carino also became the third Navy to win a stage this year after Oranza, who topped the first two stages, and Morales, who ruled Stage Four. Army’s Cris Joven topped Stage Three.

Oranza said he was just as glad to help Carino clinch lap honors.

“If it’s for the good of the team, I don’t mind doing it because I know they will also help me if I need it,” said Oranza, seeking his first ever Ronda title after finishing second to Morales two years ago.

Action resumes today with the 111.8km Stage Six starting at the San Jose City Hall and ending at the Tarlac Provincial Capitol.

Oranza thus kept the lead with an aggregate time of 17:40:13 with Morales, the defending back-to-back champion, staying behind with a total clocking of 17:45:12.

Jay Lampawog of Go for Gold Development is at No. 3 in 17:48:56 followed by Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology (17:51:16) and Ronald Lomotos of Navy-Standard’s Ronald Lomotos (17:51:35).

Rounding up the top 10 are CCN Superteam’s Irish Valenzuela (17:52:34), Go for Gold Developmental’s Ronnel Hualda (17:52:34), Navy-Standard’s John Mark Camingao (17:54:26) and Rudy Roque (17:55:04) and Team Franzia’s Leonel Dimaano (17:55:10).