Cebu to host two stages of Ronda Pilipinas cycling
Ronda Pilipinas, the biggest cycling event in the country, will hold two of its 16 stages in Cebu on Jan. 17 and 18.
After the third stage from Pagadian to Iligan on Jan. 14, the race visits Cebu for its fourth and fifth stages. The fourth leg will start at the Plaza Independencia en route to Dumanjug town southwestern Cebu and back. The next leg the following day will start at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall grounds covering the northern part of Cebu.
“We really intend to include Cebu as part of the route in this edition of Ronda Pilipinas,” said Ronda Pilipinas project director Moe Chulani. “We are glad that it’s scheduled during the Sinulog festival season.”
After the two stages in Cebu, the sixth leg brings riders to Luzon for the Malolos to Tarlac route. A total of 2,142.2-kilometers will cover the entire race. The average distance for each leg is 146 kilometers. The race’s longest route will be from Tuguegarao to Solano, which covers 204 kilometers.
Markjohn Galedo, the defending overall individual champion, is considered to be the top contender for the P1 million cash prize. His team, the Roadbike Philippines, is also a top contender for the team competition.
Teams competing for the 16-stage race are the American Vinyl, Philippine Navy/Standard Insurance, V.Mobile/Smart, PLDT/Spyder, Pangasinan-Hundred Islands, Ilocos Sur, One Tarlac, Metro Manila-San Miguel, Team Enrile, Cebu’s Y101 and Cycle Line Butuan. The individual stage champion will receive P130,000.
Article continues after this advertisementThe first leg of the race starts Jan. 12 in Zamboanga. The last stage will be in Baguio City.
Article continues after this advertisementMeanwhile, Jonjie Gonzales, consultant of the Lapu-Lapu City mayor Paz Radaza, said they are ready to host the prestigious race.
“We will be providing enough traffic marshalls along the route and we will be implementing half-road closure in the city’s major roads including the Marcelo Fernan Bridge,” he said.
The race is presented by LBC and sponsored by Total Gas, MVP sports foundation, Smart Communications, Radio One Telecommunications, Maynilad, North Luzon Expressway and Standard Insurance.
