THE Ronda Pilipinas lead has changed hands again, with Ronald Oranza overcoming a punctured tire to top Stage Six and take the red jersey on Tuesday.
The Navy rider had to change wheels in Cuenca, Batangas but recovered to finish the 148.3-kilometer stage from Lucena to the Praying Hands Monument in Tagaytay in three hours, 40 minutes and 45 seconds.
Oranza showed his climbing skills on the Talisay-Tagaytay Road—a difficult 11.7-kilometer uphill climb consisting of 10 hairpins — in wresting the overall individual lead from Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold, who wore the red jersey for only a day after taking it from Jan Paul Morales of Excellent Noodles.
The 29-year-old rider from Villasis, Pangasinan, who started the stage in sixth spot in the general classification, fell to the ground at the finish as he suffered leg cramps and was carried by two security men straight to their team tent where he was met by his emotional coach Reinhard Gorrantes.
“I didn’t expect I would take the red jersey, but I’m glad I did,” said Oranza.
El Joshua Carino, Oranza’s teammate, checked in second in 3:42:39 while Morales was third in 3:42:41.
Slim Ronda Pilipinas lead for Ronald Oranza
Oranza has a total time of 18:46:04, Morales stayed in No. 2 with 18:46:46, while Carcueva slid to third at 18:49:01.
Mervin Corpuz of Excellent Noodles slipped one place to No. 4 at 18:50:51, while Jeremy Lizardo of Navy rose from 13th to fifth at 18:52:36. Mar Francis Sudario of Excellent Noodles moved from 12th to sixth at 18:55:01.
Ronald Lomotos of Navy Standard Insurance is in seventh at 18:55:04, followed by Jericho Jay Lucero of Go for Gold (18:55:10), Daniel Ven Carino (18:56:21), and John Mark Camingao of Navy (18:56:45).
Defending champion George Oconer sputtered in the climb and wound up 88th in the stage and 42nd overall, a whopping 36 minutes off the pace.
Oranza and the Navy men’s recent feats also solidified their stranglehold of the overall team lead with an aggregate time of 53:41:57, more than eight minutes ahead of Excellent Noodles (54:00:28) and over 18 minutes ahead of Go for Gold (54:29:24).
The race takes a break on Wednesday before resuming on Thursday with the 180.4-km Tarlac-Baler Stage Seven. The 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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