After months of preparation, LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2020 finally and officially started its anniversary race with a bang in Sorsogon City—about 532 kilometers North of Manila.
Eleven teams comprised of 88 riders participated and competed in a 129.5 km-race, which started at Sorsogon Baywalk at 9:00 am and finished up in Sorsogon City hall at around 12:15 pm.
The 88 riders traversed the Municipalities of Casiguran, Irosin, Bulusan, Barcelona, Prieto Diaz, and went back to Sorsogon City under intermittent downpour driven by Northeast Monsoon (Amihan). The estimated time of arrival of the race leaders was expected at 12:15 pm.
Early in the race, Marvin Tapic of the Philippine Army Bicycology sustained a flat tire which led him to be conquered by the chasers.
At about 10:21 in the morning, Galedo and El Joshua Cariño darted across the KOM line set up in the 45.1 km-mark in Bulusan while roughly eight riders in a breakway followed suit.
At that time, some Go For Gold riders like Jonel Carcueva and Ismael Grospe including PNSI climber Junrey Navara scrambled to get into the race leaders who had a 30-sec lead while the peloton was behind by about 50 seconds
Furthermore, the live stream reports of Snow Badua and Dj Bobby Odulio were greatly disrupted by network lags along the Municipality of Bulusan, where the famous and scenic Mt. Bulusan is located.
As the race advanced to the Municipality of Irosin, more than ten riders were identified in the breakaway with a 50 to 75-sec gap ahead of the hungry chasers.
At 11:37 am, the race column was divided into four groups with the newly formed 24-man team in the breakaway comprised of combined forces of PNSI, Go For Gold, 7-Eleven, Team Bicycology, like, Jan Paul Morales, Junrey Navara, George Oconer, Mark Galedo, Marcelo Felipe, Ronald Lomotos, Mark Luis Bordeos, Jericho Lucero, Rustom Lim, Aidan James Mendoza, Jonel Carcueva, El Joshua Cariño, Alvin Benosa among others in the lead pack.
At 12:05 pm, the underdog Mark Julius Bordeos of Philippine Army Bicycology emerged in the finish line and completed the first stage of LBC Ronda Pilipinas in a tight race with Jerry Aquino of Scratch It and Rustom Lim of 7-Eleven Cliqq-Air 21 by Roadbike Philippines who placed second and third.
Bordeos is a Pangasinense rider who also earned stage win in the previous LBC Ronda race in Iloilo in 2017.
Meanwhile, PNSI skipper, Jan Paul Morales was declared sprint king while 7-Eleven Cliqq Air 21 by RBP Mark Galedo the KOM.
Further, 7-Eleven Cliqq-Air 21 by RBP Team ranked number one in the stage team classification and the Philippine Navy Standard Insurance in the general team classification.
RELATED VIDEOS
www.dwainformation.com 