THE LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2022 hits the road again after a one-year pandemic absence as it holds the 11th edition starting on Friday.
Two stages are set on opening day — a 12.3-kilometer Individual Time Trial at 8 a.m. and the 59.4km Team Trial at 1 p.m — with both starting at the Provincial Capitol in Sorsogon and ending on Rampeolas Boulevard.
The finale is set on March 20 in Baguio.
A total of 104 cyclists from 13 teams including reigning Ronda king George Oconer and 2019 titlist Ronald Oranza of Navy Standard Insurance will battle for the P3.5 million cash purse including a cool P1 million champion’s prize.
Other title contenders are Dominic Perez and Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold, Santy Barnachea and Jan Paul Morales of Excellent Noodles, Marvin Tapic and Cris Joven of Army, Rudy Roque of Dreyna, Sherwin Carrera of Eagle Cement, Warren Bordeos of Champs Café and Marcelo Felipe and Rustom Lim of Team Nueva Ecija.
Also out to steal the spotlight are Bike Kings Laguna, Vantage Ilocos Norte, VPharma, Team Quezon Province and Team Ilocos Sur.
“We were formed in 2020 and started to really train last year but Ronda did not push through. That gave us one year of preparation,” said 2011 and 2015 Ronda winner Santy Barnachea.

Santy Barnachea, 47, rides again.
For Navy coach Reinhard Gorantes, the race will be decided in the last three stages—the 174.4km Baler-Echague, Isabela Stage Eight; 193.2km Santiago, Isabela-Baguio Stage Nine; and the Stage 10 Baguio criterium.
Stage Three is set on Saturday, a 163km Sorsogon-Lergazpi race followed by the 189.1km Legazpi-Daet Stage Four on Sunday, 212km Daet-Lucena Stage Five on Monday and 157.4km Lucena-Tagaytay Stage Six on Tuesday in the race sponsored by LBC Express, Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Quad X, Smart, Twin Cycle Gear, Standard Insurance, Print2Go, Elves Bicycles, Elitewheels, Orome, Maynilad, PhilHydro and Garmin.
Riders take a rest on Wednesday before proceeding with the 157.4km Lucena-Tagaytay Stage Six Thursday in the race also backed by Petron, Boy Kanin, Green Planet Bikeshop, Prolite, Fujiwara, Black Mamba, Lightwater, LBC Foundation, PhilCycling and the Games and Amusements Board.
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