Navarra tops Stage 14, PLDT regains team lead

Team Cycle Line Butuan’s Junrey Navarra ruled yesterday’s high altitude Stage 14 allowing his team PLDT-Spyder to overtake erstwhile leader Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance in the team standings with two stages left in the Ronda Pilipinas.

Yesterday’s Stage 14 started from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya to Baguio City.

Navarra finished the 133.5-kilometer stage in four hours, 44 minutes and 17 seconds almost six minutes faster than second placer Daniel Asto of the Philippine Navy (4:50.04) who beat by photo finish Road Bike Philippines’ Jonipher Ravina.

Overall leader Ronald Oranza, also helped PLDT-Spyder regain the overall lead by finishing fourth in 4:50.39 followed by Road Bike Philippines’ Ronald Gorantes and teammate Mark John Lexer Galedo, fellow PLDT rider El Joshua Carino, American Vinyl-LPGMA’s Irish Valenzuela and overall individual second placer Santy Barnachea of the Philippine Navy. Ronnel Hualda of Road Bike Philippines completed the top 10 finishers with the time of 4:51.56.

PLDT-Spyder now has a total time of 153:20.34 while Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance follows in 153:20.53. Road Bike Philippines is in third place with a time of 153:23.11 while American Vinyl-LPGMA and V-Mobile Smart trail at fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

Meanwhile, Oranza’s lead in the individual race is a mere three seconds over Barnachea. Oranza has 52:10.53 while Barnachea follows in 52:10.56. Former overall leader Valenzuela dropped to third place while Gorantes and Carino round up the top 5.

Stage 15 will be an Individual Time Trial (ITT) race from Pugo, La Union to Baguio City or a distance of 34 kilometers while Friday’s concluding criterium race will cover 67.2 kilometers.