Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance bared his true fangs and topped the 135.2-kilometer Tuguegarao-Isabela Stage Four as teammate Ronald Oranza kept the general classification lead in the Ronda Pilipinas 2018 presented by LBC on Tuesday.
Morales, 32, beat George Oconer and Ronnel Hualda of Go for Gold Developmental Team and 10 others that also included Oranza in a sprint finish to claim victory in three hours and 7.42 minutes in the race that started in Tuguegarao City and ended in Echague, Isabela.
It was Morales’s second podium finish after he wound up second in the Vigan Stage One criterium last Saturday.
Morales, seeking a third straight crown, also took the overall lead on that day after he also ruled the two intermediate sprint races but went on to give it up after the Vigan-Pagudpud Stage Two the next day.
But after Stage Four, Morales jumped from No. 3 to No. 2 with an aggregate time of 13:38:22, five minutes behind Oranza, who continue to hold sway with 13:33:21.
Morales, however, stressed he doesn’t mind if he doesn’t win this year.
“Of course, a third title would be nice but I will not mind if Oranza or someone from my team wins it as long as he will be from Navy,” Morales said.
Oranza, a native of Villasis, Pangasinan, said he will do his best to keep the lead.
“I will do my best to keep the red jersey,” Oranza said.
Not all was good news for Navy as one of its riders, Archie Cardana, lost his grip of the No. 2 spot and was kicked out of the top 10 after a miserable ride in Stage Four. In his place was Morales.
Go for Gold Developmental Team’s Jay Lampawog moved from No. 5 to No. No. 3 with 13:40:16 while Cris Joven of Army-Bicycology advanced from No. 7 to No. 4 with 13:40:57, while another Navy bet, Ronald Lomotos, zoomed from No. 8 to No. 5 with 13:40:57.
CCN Superteam’s Irish Valenzuela, the 2013 champion, finally made his presence felt as he finished with the Morales’ group that checked in first that catapulted him straight to the top 10 for the first time with a time of 13:41:22, which was good for No. 6.
Hualda and Navy’s Jhon Mark Camingao likewise debuted in the top 10 as the two jumped to Nos. 7 and 8 with 13:41:34 and 13:42:50, respectively.
Rudy Roque of Navy, who finished second to Morales last year, returned to the top 10 at No, 9 with 13:42:44, just a slot above Team Franzia’s Leonel Dimaano, who slid from No. 4 to No. 10 with 13:43:11.
Thanks to an impressive Stage Four performance, Navy’s 10-minute lead in the team race is now 17 minutes as it now has a total clocking of 54:26:06, ahead of Go for Gold Developmental team with 54:44:01 and Army-Bicycology with 54:55:26.
The race takes a much-needed break today and will resume tomorrow with the 179.4-km Stage Five unfolding at the Echague Municipal Hall and ending at the San Jose City Hall in Nueva Ecija.