LIMANG dating kampeon sa pangunguna nina two-time winners Jan Paul Morales ng Standard Insurance-Navy at Santy Barnachea ng Scratch It at mga mahuhusay na katunggali ang magsasalpukan para sa korona ng 10-stage LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race na raratsada ngayong Linggo, Pebrero 23, sa harap ng Sorsogon Provincial Capitol sa Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.
Sina Morales, na naghari noong 2016 at 2017, at Barnachea, na naging unang kampeon noong 2011 bago umulit noong 2015, ay parehong nais na makagawa ng kasaysayan sa hangaring maging unang three-time winner ng taunang karera na may nakatayang premyo na P1 milyon para sa individual champion.
“I always aim to win in all the race I join and I’m confident of my chances this year,” sabi ng 34-anyos na si Morales.
Sinabi naman ng 43-anyos na si Barnachea na gagawin niya ang makakaya para magwagi sa cycling event na hatid ng LBC at iniisponsoran ng Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation at suportado ng Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, Spyder, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX-SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation at PhilCycling.
“We’ll know when the race starts but for me, anything can happen in this kind of race,” sabi ni Barnachea.
Kabilang naman sa mga dating kampeon na lalahok ngayong taon sina Ronald Oranza ng Standard Insurance-Navy (2018), Mark Galedo ng 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines (2012) at Reimon Lapaza ng Celeste Cycles PH-Devel Project Pro Team (2014).
Tanging sina Irish Valenzuela (2013) at Francisco Mancebo (2019) ang mga dating kampeon na hindi lumahok ngayong taon.
Kabilang naman sa lehitimong title contenders ang mga dating Le Tour champion na sina El Joshua Carino, Junrey Navarra at George Oconer ng Standard Insurance, Marcelo Felipe at Rustom Lopez ng 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21, Ronnel Hualda, Daniel Ven Carino, Ismael Grospe, Jr. at Jonel Carcueva ng Go for Gold, Cris Joven, Marvin Tapic at Dominic Perez ng Bicycology-Army, at Michael Angelo Ochoa at Warren Bordeos ng Bike Xtreme.
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