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MANILA, Philippines – Jan Paul Morales of Navy Standard Insurance ruled the Stage 14 criterium to officially crown himself champion of the 2017 LBC Ronda Pilipinas that started up North in Vigan, Ilocos Sur last month and ended at the Iloilo Business Park.
In a press release, the 31-year-old was said to have clocked in an hour, 5 minutes, and 8 seconds in the final 50-km lap to win the annual competition considered the biggest cycling race in the Philippines.
Morales, the now first-ever back-to-back champion, raced through 14 stages and traveled 1782.6 km of roads for a total time of 44:55:35. He was ahead by 13.45 minutes by second placer Rudy Roque, also of Navy.
“I’m happy as well as relieved that it was over,” said the soft-spoken Morales was quoted as saying in Filipino. “It was really a difficult race, tougher than last year. I’m glad I could finally rest because I really gave it all just to win this race.”
He dedicated his win to his family and his two months pregnant wife.
“They say you will get lucky when your wife is pregnant, I guess I was because even though it was really a tough race, I never really encountered trouble,” added the Calumpang, Marikina City native.
It was a dominating performance for Morales, who won a total of 6 stages after he also topped the Stage Two criterium in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, the Angeles-Subic Stage Three, the Pili-Daet Stage Seven and the Stage Nine criterium in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Morales was also named sprint and king of the mountain winner.
He won P1,228,500 including the P1 million top purse courtesy of presentor LBC.
That is apart from the share he got from the P50,000 amount his powerhouse Navy-Standard Insurance squad won for reigning supreme in the time race as it finished with an aggregate time of 176:46:09, besting second place Kinetix Lab-Army’s 177:36:36 and third place Go for Gold’s 177:46:07.
Morales joined Santy Barnachea as the most titled rider in Ronda with two apiece. Barnachea won it in the inaugural stage and in 2015.
Other past Ronda champions were Albay’s Irish Valenzuela (2012), Big City bet Mark Galedo (2013), and Butuan City’s Reimon Lapaza (2014).
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Roque took up second overall in the indvidual race with a time of 45:09:20 as Army’s Cris Joven finished third at 45:12:16. – Rappler.com
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