The 2018 LBC Ronda Pilipinas Champion and the 20th Pangasinan professional cycling champion Ronald Oranza is among the aces up the Philippine Navy’s sleeve.
Ronald Nozuelo Oranza was born on 2 December 1992, in Barangay San Nicolas, Villasis Town, in the Province of Pangasinan. The five-foot-ten Navy all-rounder is the youngest among eleven children of farmer Daniel Fabro Oranza and Barangay Health Worker Oranza Dominga Nozuelo Oranza.
At 17 years old, the Villasis pride started his penchant for cycling a year after his father’s demise. The death of his old man greatly impacted teenage Oranza. Hence, this particular tragic event in his life had exceptionally motivated the youngest son to take up the cudgels for his family.
All the while, he faced several domestic problems. His mother couldn’t regularly provide baon for him. Sometimes, he set off for school on an empty stomach. Supportive friends would only share meals with him. After school, he walked home at least two kilometers. Altogether, the Oranza family was down and out.
Fortunately, he learned about a cycling trial conducted by the LBC Team, the team in which he would meet his fellow Navy teammates like El Joshua Cariño, Ronald Lomotos and Junrey Navarra.
At 20 years old, the Navy top gun first partook in the professional race under LBC Team in 2012, earning his second-place stage win during LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2012 stage competition in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. On the other hand, his future LBC Team only ranked eighth overall in the general classification (GC).
The following year, the time trialist won his first-ever stage win in his professional cycling career in LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2013 stage race in Olongapo City. He completed the 2013 LBC Ronda Pilipinas road cycling competition third overall in the GC. In the same way, his LBC team was commended as the third overall in the general team classification.
In LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016 Mindanao Leg, during which fellow teammate Jan Paul Morales prevailed, Ronald Oranza took the second spot in the GC.
Here are some of the major local and international races the Villasis, Pangasinan pride partook in former times:
- Asian Cycling Championships
- Southeast Asian Games
- Le Tour de Filipinas
- National Championships Philippines
- LBC Ronda Pilipinas
- Tour of Borneo
- Jelajah Malaysia
- Butra Heidelberg Cement Tour de Brunei
- Tour of Singkarak
The Navy top-notch cyclist also won top finishes in various local and international competitions in the past, to wit:
- First place – Two Stages, LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2013
- First place – Stage 2 and 8, LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2015
- First place – Stage 1 and 2 LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2016
- First place – ITT National Championships Philippines
- 4th stage lap winner Tour de Vietnam 2017
To date, Oranza has been a consistent podium finisher since LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2012.
In the eighth edition of LBC Ronda Pilipinas, as the PNSI Team Captain Jan Paul Morales was bidding for his third LBC Ronda Pilipinas title, Oranza meanwhile swept nine of the ten LBC Ronda Pilipinas stage competitions. Ergo, the road cycling tournament announced him the overall champion.
On 8 December 2018, precisely 6:20 in the morning, LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2018 titleholder Ronald Nozuelo Oranza traversed a portion of Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road en route to Sta. Maria de Pila Church to attend a life-long covenant that would bind him and his wife Maribel forever. Fellow townmate and batchmate, John Bascos, assisted the Villasis road warrior along the way.
The matrimony took place six days after Ronald Oranza turned 26. Sporting navy blue coat and tie and equipped with a Giant 2019 road bike, the Navy all-rounder thrillingly pedaled to Sta. Maria Church to meet his beautiful bride.
In 2019, the UCI-sanctioned LBC Ronda Pilipinas held its five-stage races in Panay Region. The 42-year-old Spaniard Mancebo Perez earned the first UCI-sanctioned LBC Ronda Pilipinas crown while the Filipino warrior, PNSI Oranza, settled in the second spot and won the Best Filipino rider.
In the recently concluded LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2020, Oranza was among the five former LBC Ronda Pilipinas titleholders who historically attended and participated, such as the two-time LBC Ronda Pilipinas titlist Santy Barnachea and the former LBC Ronda Pilipinas back-to-back champion Jan Paul Morales, both gunning for third LBC Title. Also, LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2012 champion Mark Galedo and LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2014 Champion Reimon Lapaza competed with the said stalwarts. Only Irish Valenzuela and Mancebo Perez did not attend the highly-anticipated anniversary race.
PNSI rider Ronald Oranza's specialties include endurance, time trials, stage races and sprint.
This month, the first-string cycling team member will be launching his first bike shop located in Barangay San Patricio, Sta. Maria Town in Pangasinan Province.
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