Oranza, Morales stay running 1-2

ECHAGUE, Isabela, Philippines —The 11th LBC Ronda Pilipinas has boiled down to a two-way race between Ronald Oranza of Navy Standard Insurance and Jan Paul Morales of Excellent Noodles.

Oranza and Morales stuck with each other in yesterday’s Baler-Echague Stage 8 with the latter topping the 174.4-kilometer ride and the former coming in second with identical times of four hours, 41 minutes and 31 seconds.

Marcelo Felipe of Team Nueva Ecija completed the podium finish with the same clocking.

The 29-year-old 2018 Ronda titlist stayed atop the field with an aggregate clocking of 27:59:47 although his 42-second lead was trimmed down by four by Morales with his 10-second bonus as stage winner. Oranza earned a bonus of six seconds for runner-up honors.

And now Oranza and Morales – the 2016 and 2017 Ronda winner – engage in an exciting showdown in the dreaded mountain passes of Baguio’s backdoor from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

“Tomorrow’s (today’s) stage will decide our fates,” said Oranza of the 193.2km Stage 9 starting in Santiago, Isabela and concluding at the Burnham Park.

“We’ll give it our best tomorrow and see if I can regain that red jersey,” said Morales.

Oranza succeeded in his game plan to stick with Morales like a leech in the ride to Isabela passing Category 2 ascents in the mountains of Maddela, Quirino.

At distant third was Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold at 28:02:55, while Ronald Lomotos of Navy Standard Insurance and Felipe were at fourth and fifth at 28:08:54 and 28:09:36, respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 were Navy Standard Insurance’s El Joshua Cariño (28:11:00) and Jeremy Lizardo (28:11:11), Excellent Noodles’ Ryan Tugawin (28:13:29), Navy Standard Insurance’s John Mark Camingao (28:15:20) and Go for Gold’s Jericho Jay Lucero (28:20:13).

Navy Standard Insurance has also kept its iron grip of the overall team lead at  81:22:24 followed by Excellent Noodles at 81:36:18 and Go for Gold at 82:00:36.

The annual event, featuring a starting field of 104 riders now reduced to 65, stakes a P3.5-million cash pot courtesy of LBC Express, Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Quad X, Smart, Twin Cycle Gear, Standard Insurance, Print2Go, Elves Bicycles, Elitewheels, Orome, Maynilad, PhilHydro, Garmin, Petron, Boy Kanin, Green Planet Bikeshop, Prolite, Fujiwara, Black Mamba Energy Drink, Lightwater, LBC Foundation, PhilCycling and the Games and Amusements Board.