The search for the country’s future cycling stars continues as the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 edition will hold its first of two qualifying races on Nov. 6 that will also coincide with the LBC Giro de Pilipinas in Subic Bay.
A total of 30 riders will make it to the culminating event, the biggest cycling race in the Philippines slated to start up North in the Ilocos region on Feb. 4 and end in Iloilo City on March 4 next year.
“The top 30 cyclists in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas Subic qualifying race will make it to the main Ronda event in February next year,” said Jingo Hervas, who is on his second year as LBC Ronda Pilipinas race director.
Hervas said those who couldn’t make the cut could still qualify during the final qualifier in Bacolod City on Dec. 4, which will also be held simultaenously with the Dans 360 Beynte bike event.
The 60 qualifiers will then join the more or less 50-man pool that have already automatically qualified for joining last year’s race.
Hervas, however, reminded the outright qualifiers to register first to secure their spots.
“Those who are automatically in, they should claim their slots by registering,” said Hervas.
On its seventh edition, the 12-stage main event will give a whopping R1 million to the champion courtesy of presentor LBC and its major sponsors Mitsubishi, Petron, ASG Group, Dans360 and Donen with sanctions from PhlCycling under its president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.