The Ronda Pilipinas, the biggest cycling race in the Philippines, will stake P1 million to the champion as it hit the road next year with a 12-stage race that will unfold up North in the Ilocos regions on Feb. 4 and will end in Iloilo City on March 4.
Now on its seventh edition, the LBC Ronda Pilipinas, presented by LBC and in partnership with Mitsubishi, ASG Sports Group and Donen with blessings from PhlCycling, have raised the stake this year to P1 million lure not just the best the country can offer but also potential talents from the countryside.
Ronda sports development head Moe Chulani also said Ronda remains committed to helping PhilCycling under Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in its grassroots development program by scraping the country of potential talents and help them train to become future national team members.
One discovery from the last edition was Ranlen Maglantay, who brought a cheap, second-hand bike, an old pair of rubber shoes and a dream to get a chance to compete in an annual race of this magnitude.
“We believe that somewhere out there, there are gems in the rough waiting to be discovered like Ranlen Maglantay,” said Chulani.
Jingo Hervas remains the race director 3Q Sports’ Quin and Jojo Baterna and Rommel Bobiles, which organizes the Giro de Pilipinas in Subic every year.
Ronda organizers are hoping to draw over a hundred partcipants as it set two qualifying races in Maglantay lead a big 70-man group who participated in the last edition that are already qualified in the 2017 race although they would still need to confirm their participation by registering.
A total of 50 to 60 more slots are available as LBC Ronda holds two qualifying races, one in Subic coinciding with Giro de Filipinas on Nov. 3-4 in Subic Bay and another tentatively scheduled in the first week of December in Bacolod City.