By Joey Villar
BAGUIO CITY — Four years ago, it’s hard to imagine Ronald Lomotos winning the LBC Ronda Pilipinas title after he was disqualified due to drafting. But he rose from the ashes of the bitter past and emerged as the country’s newest hero.
Turning the short, 3.1-kilometer final stage criterium into a victory ride, Mr. Lomotos crowned himself the 11th LBC Ronda Pilipinas king and secured the cool P1-million top purse at the Burnham Park here.
The 27-year-old, San Felipe, Zambales native contented himself sticking with his chief rival — Navy Standard Insurance teammate and skipper Ronald Oranza — in the lap that traversed Session Road for the first team in Ronda history and checked in at 20th place with a group that clocked an hour, 17 minutes and 50 seconds.
It was all Mr. Lomotos needed in ruling the 10-stage event that started in Sorsogon City and entering Ronda’s history books as it’s 11th winner.
And Mr. Lomotos, a runner up in the last staging two years ago, wrapped it all up by coming through with a race of his life in Saturday’s Santiago-Baguio Stage Nine where he conquered the notorious ascents in the feared mountains of Kayapa and Bokod, Nueva Vizcaya.
After 10 backbreaking stages and more than 1,000 kilometers of paved and unpaved flat roads, rolling hills and mountain passes traveled, Mr. Lomotos came out on top of the world with an aggregate clocking of 35:31:38 and joined an elite group of fellow Navymen who reigned supreme in this annual spectacle — Mrsses. Oranza, Santy Barnachea, Jan Paul Morales and George Oconer.
“It still feels surreal,” said Mr. Lomotos moments after completing his feat.
Mr. Lomotos, however, had to claw his way back from the bottom after his disqualification four years ago.
“I learned from the past and I kept telling myself that will stand up every time I fall,” he said.
And he did.
Mr. Lomotos shed tears of joy when he reminisced of the hardships on his way to the apex of Philippine cycling.
“I took up cycling to help my mother (Zenaida) make ends meet because my father (Nicolas) died when I was seven years old,” said Mr. Lomotos.
Mr. Oranza, the 2018 winner, came short of his quest of a second crown as he wound up second overall in 35:31:59 but consoled himself with a runner-up purse worth P400,000 and a soothing visit from his whole family, who traveled from Villasis, Pangasinan to cheer him up.
The other top 10 finishers were Excellent Noodles’ Joshua Mari Bonifacio (35:51:46), Go for Gold’s Jonel Carcueva (35:53:57), Excellent Noodles’ Jan Paul Morales (35:55:23) and Joshua Pascual (35:56:34) and Team Nueva Ecija’s Marcelo Felipe (35:58:53).
The 1-2 finish highlighted what turned out a dominant effort by Navy Standard Insurance, which had three other riders ending up in the top 10 — El Joshua Carino (No. 3, 35:50:32), Jeremy Lizardo (No. 4, 35:50:43) and John Mark Camingao (No. 10, 36:12:17)—and sealing the team crown for the seventh time in 103.56.27.
It also hauled all but one special awards — Mr. Oranza (Twin Cycle Gear King of the Mountain), and Jeremy Lizardo (MVP Under-23 and Gogo Express Top Rookie).
Ironically, the only trophy Navy failed to take home was the award that its patron has sponsored — the Standard Insurance Sprint King honor.
It went to Mr. Felipe.
Excellent Noodles, a team owned by Alex Billan, for its part, did exceptionally on its first Ronda race as it finished second in the team race in 35:56:34 while coming through with 12 podium finishes including six stage triumphs that was capped by Ryan Tugawin’s victorious Stage 10 effort in 1:17:15.
Mr. Oconer was second with the same clocking while Go for Gold’s Ronnilan Quita was third in 1:17:16.
“Although we didn’t get the GC (general classification), it was still a blessing by having riders at the podium in all 10 stages and finishing second in the team,” said Mr. Billan.
This annual event that staked a total cash pot worth P3.5 million cash pot was made possible by 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.