RONALD Oranza hopes to avoid physical and mechanical setbacks as he tries to protect the lead in the Ronda Pilipinas when the riders return to action on Thursday.
The riders took a break on Wednesday after six stages and a tough 180.4-kilometer ride awaits the pack in Stage Seven from Tarlac to Baler, Aurora.
Oranza, a Navy Standard Insurance rider, suffered a puncture in Batangas and had to overcome leg cramps in the final stretch of Stage Six to win and gain the top spot in the general classification.
The 30-year-old Oranza, with an aggregate time of 18 hours, 46 minutes and four seconds, leads Jan Paul Morales of Excellent Noodles by under a minute (18:46:46), while Jonel Carcueva is running third (18:49:01).
Mervin Corpuz of Excellent Noodles is fourth (18:50:51), followed by Jeremy Lizardo of Navy Standard Insurance (18:52:36), Mar Francis Sudario of Excellent Noodles (18:55:01), Ronald Lomotos of Navy Standard Insurance (18:55:04), Jericho Jay Lucero of Go for Gold (18:55:10), Daniel Ven Carino (18:56:21), and John Mark Camingao of Navy Standard Insurance (18:56:45).
Oranza said he did light workout and spin training and had a dose of hydration salt with some bananas on the side during the break with hopes of preventing cramps again going into the final phase of this annual cycling spectacle.
“It was very light because we wanted to rest our riders,” said Navy Standard Insurance coach Reinhard Gorrantes.
Ronald Oranza and the Navy riders are on top in the team classification
Oranza will also try to protect his lead in the King of the Mountain race as well as Navy’s lead in the team event where they have a total clocking of 53:41:57 ahead of Go for Gold (54:00:28) and Excellent Noodles (54:29:24).
Morales, the 2016 and 2017 titlist, for his part, remained optimistic of his chances.
“Anything can happen in the last four stages so everybody still has a chance,” said the 36-year-old former Navy skipper.
This annual event stakes a P3.5 million cash pot including P1 million to the champion courtesy of LBC Express, Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Quad X, Smart, Twin Cycle Gear, Standard Insurance, Print2Go, Elves Bicycles, Elitewheels, Orome, Maynilad, PhilHydro, Garmin, Petron, Boy Kanin, Green Planet Bikeshop, Prolite, Fujiwara, Black Mamba Energy Drink, Lightwater, LBC Foundation, PhilCycling and the Games and Amusements Board.
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