Many times Tour de France campaigner Francisco Mancebo Perez of Spain snatched the Ronda Pilipinas 2019 UCI Asia Tour crown. Mancebo bested race other favorites Russian Artem Overchin of Terengganu and Ronald Oranza of Philippine Navy – Standard Insurance.
The Ronda Pilipinas 2019 race was sanctioned by world cycling governing body UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). Winning Cyclist in this event will earn qualifying points for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The five stages cycling spectacle that starts in Iloilo City and ends at the island paradise of Boracay, featured some of the best continental cycling teams in Asia against our very own cycling teams spearheaded by Philippine Navy -Standard Insurance, the team that dominated the yearly Ronda Pilipinas race for the last five years already.
Other local teams are 7Eleven CLIQQ- AIR 21, Go for Gold Philippines, Team Franzia, Team Army Bicycology, Bike Extreme Philippines, and Team Tarlac. While the foreign team are Team Matrix Powertag Japan,
Terengganu INC TSG Cycling Team, NEX Cycling Team, KORAIL Team Korea, PGN Road Cycling Team, Custom Cycling Indonesia Team, Cambodia Cycling Team, and Sri Lanka Navy Cycling Team.
Mancebo of Team Matrix Powertag Japan topped the 1st stage of the race leaving Ronda Pilipinas defending champion Ronald Oranza of Philippine Navy- Standard Insurance at second place and Dominic Perez of 7Eleven CLIQQ- AIR 21 at third place by the identical time of three minutes and fifty seconds.
The 1st stage victory by Mancebo proved to be pivotal in this short five stages race.
Oranza and the rest of the Filipino cyclist tried so hard to overhaul the commanding three minutes and fifty seconds lead by Mancebo in the succeeding stages. However, several attempts to rest the overall leadership was thwarted repeatedly by Mancebo and the rest of the Matrix Powertag Japan team and sometimes with the help of Terengganu INC TSG Cycling Team of Malaysia.
Read more for the stage by stage recap of Ronda Pilipinas 2019.
Stage 1
Iloilo to Iloilo total distance: 197.6 Kilometers
Ronda Pilipinas 2019 kicks off in Iloilo City in the morning of February 9, 2019. Very early in the race, at approximately one kilometer from the start line, it was Merculio Ramos of Team Tarlac and another cyclist who registered the first breakaway from the peloton.
However, Ramos and his companion were not able to sustain the early charge as the peloton quickly close in. After five minutes, the peloton already catches up with the early leaders.
There was a brief lull in the action and the peloton was reassembled as one whole bunch. That was until a new eighteen-man breakaway group composed mostly of local teams from Philippine Navy- Standard Insurance and 7Eleven charged. This time Ronald Oranza of Philippine Navy the Ronda Pilipinas defending champion joins the fray.
Just as the eighteen-man group was picking up speed to escape the peloton. A new four-man breakaway group follows suit. The second group was composed of Jonel Carcueva (Go for Gold), Ronald Lumotos (Philippine Navy), Kangeun Joo (Korail Team Korea), and the Francisco Mancebo Perez (Matrix Powertag Japan) the 2005 Tour de France 5th Placer.
Meanwhile, at the Peloton, Artem Ovechkin (Terengganu) was having a hard time extricating himself from the main pack. Riders from other teams were closely guarding him, checking his every move to escape the peloton. He was the marked man even before the race started, owing to his lofty credential as the Tour de Langkawi Champion.
From the 1st group and 2nd group, another ten-man breakaway emerged. The new lead group was composed of Ronald Oranza, George Oconer, Jamalidin Novardianto, Maral Erden-Bathmunkh, Taewo Kang, Mochammad Chaichiraghimi, Jonel Carcueva, Ronald Lumotos, Kangeon Joo, and Francisco Mancebo.
At the uphill climb in Hantic and Sibalot, Antique Francesco Mancebo made his move to get away from the ten-man lead pack. However, Terengganu’s Maral Erden-Bathmunk was able to catch-up with the pace of Mancebo.
The attempt proved to be successful as the duo slowly pulled away from the previous ten-man lead group.
It was a good race and Maral Erden-Bathmunkh managed to hang around tough with the Tour de France veteran Mancebo. Unfortunately, in the last 43 kilometers to the finish line, Bathmunk suffered leg cramps.
Mancebo sensing blood goes all out to widen the lead between him and the chase group of Ronald Oranza.
Meanwhile, the chase group of Ronal Oranza that already failed behind by as much as three minutes was down to only eight riders. Some riders fall behind and some new riders managed to catch up that includes Junrey Navarra, Rudy Roque, and Rustom Lim.
In the last 30 kilometers to the finish line, Rustom Lim made a last-ditch attempt to chase the now solo leader Francisco Mancebo. It was a brave move by Rustom Lim but was quite too late since Mancebo was already too far from the chase group, approximately three minutes and twenty minutes ahead.
In the last 14 kilometers to the finish line, Ronald Oranza and catching up 7Eleven rider Dominic Perez reunited with Rustom Lim.
And finally, Francisco Mancebo showing world-class skills goes all the way to the finish line to win the 1st stage of the race. Mancebo was ahead by three minutes and fifty-two seconds over Ronald Oranza at 2nd place and Dominic Perez third place.
Stage 2
Guimaras to Guimaras total distance 101.8 kilometers
In the 2nd Stage, there was a lot of pressure for the Filipino riders to bounce back after their disappointing loss in the 1st Stage.
After 10 kilometers from the starting line, the riders were still in one whole bunch.
At around 18 kilometers into the race, the first rider to breakaway was Junrey Navarra of Philippine Navy. Navarra was known to be a strong mountain climber, he was now navigating the 35-degree ascent uphill road of Antique.
Navarra was later joined by another local rider Ryan Tugawin of Team Franzia. The duo takes a turn in towing each other. By now the lead of the Navarra and Tugawin over the peloton was around 1:29 minutes.
Few kilometers later, a new rider breaks away from the Peloton to join Navarra and Tugawin in the front line. He was Marvin Tapic of Team Army Bicycolory.
Meanwhile, at the Peloton, local teams Philippine Navy and 7Eleven join forces to battle Matrix over the leadership of the peloton.
Matrix’s goal was to speed up the peloton to chase the breakaway group while Philippine Navy and 7Eleven’s goal was to slow down the peloton to give Pinoy breakaway riders a chance to widen the lead and eventually overhaul the three minutes and fifty-two seconds lead of Red Jersey holder Francisco Mancebo.
The cooperation of the Philippine Navy and 7Eleven was somewhat successful in controlling the speed of the peloton. At 31 kilometers to the finish line, the new duo of Navarra and Tapic was still leading by around 1:42 minutes over the peloton.
Navarra and Tapic were later joined by under 23 rider Ismael Grospe of Go for Gold and Jan Paul Morales of Philippine Navy. However, Team Matrix of Japan reclaimed the driver’s set of the Peloton and now they are full speed ahead, the distance between the lead group and the peloton was only 45 seconds.
At 13 Kilometers into the finish line, after some riders from the lead group fades away, a new lead group emerged composed of Junrey Navarra, Ismael Grospe, and Marvin Tapic.
At this time, the peloton was just less than a minute behind breathing down the neck of the lead group and finally caught up and absorb the lead group into the peloton.
The peloton was again back to one whole bunch until all of a sudden Cebuano rider Jonel Carcueva of Go for Gold raced past the peloton speeding away and taking the solo leadership. Carcueva managed to maintain the lead for eight kilometers. Later he was joined by El Joshua Carino of Philippine Navy and Felipe Marcelo of 7Eleven.
The trio of Carcueva, Carino, and Marcelo took the turn in towing the group and never allowed the speeding peloton catch up.
It was a sprint finish for the three riders into the finish line. Filipe Marcelo of 7Eleven beats El Joshua Carino (2nd place) and young rider Jonel Carcueva (third place). Though there was no significant change in the overall leadership at least the Filipinos redeemed themselves by sweeping the three top spots of stage1.
Stage 3
Iloilo to Roxas total distance 179.4 kilometers
While the euphoria doesn’t die down yet with the all Filipino victory in stage 2. Riders prepare for the Iloilo to Roxas race.
The foreign riders thinking they were outsmarted in stage 2, closely guarded the peloton chasing even a single rider who tried to break loose of the peloton.
At the 15 kilometers from the starting line five men somehow managed to break away from the peloton, they were young riders Jonel Carcueva and Boots Ryan Cayubit of Go for Gold, Ryan Tugawin of Team Franzia, Ronald Lomotos of Philippine Navy, and George Oconer of 7Eleven. The lead group closely work with its other pulling the pack away from the peloton by over six minutes.
At 138 Kilometers to the finish line, a second group emerged with Marvin Tapic and Robinson Esteves of Army Bicycology and Anthony del Rosario of Team Tarlac. Just a few meters behind the 2nd group are Mark Julius Bordeos of Army Bicycology and Daeyon Joo of Team Korail Korea.
Eventually, the 1st group was visibly slow down, the 2nd group caught up with them making a new 10 rider breakaway group.
Meanwhile, at the peloton, 50 kilometers to finish line Francisco Mancebo sense danger and he took the matter into his own hands. In the next succeeding kilometer, he takes over the driver’s seat of the peloton. Mancebo drives the peloton like mad, maintaining an average speed of 42 Kilometer per hour.
At 32 kilometers to the finish line, the 10 men lead group clearly lose steam as they rode at the speed of 39 kilometers per hour.
At President Roxas, Capiz the six minutes lead of the lead group over the peloton was cut down to only 1 minute and forty-four seconds.
28 Kilometers to the finish line at Barangay Rizal, Puentevedra, Capiz, the more than one minute lead of the 1st group was further reduced to 30 seconds. The peloton now can see the back of the riders of the ten-man group.
At 19 Kilometers to finish line, the peloton was able to subdue the uprising of the lead pack. It was back to square one as the peloton was again one whole bunch.
At 18 kilometers to the finish line, Artem Ovechkin takes over the driver’s seat of the peloton. They rode as fast as 46 Kilometers per hour. Foreign riders were at the frontline of the peloton. It seems that Ovechkin was determined to win stage 3.
In the last 3 Kilometers to the finish line, tension builds up as Ronald Oranza zooms past all the riders in the peloton. He made around 50 meters of separation from the head of the peloton.
The race was very intense as Artem Ovechkin chased the leader Ronald Oranza. It was a showdown between the defending Ronda Pilipinas Champion and the tour the Langkawi champion.
Other riders in the peloton join the wild dash to the finish line. Filipino and foreign riders go full speed. And finally, after a chaotic struggle to finish first in the finish line. A Filipino rider reign supreme! He was Jan Paul Morales or Philippine Navy followed by Dominic Perez of 7Eleven and Projo Waseso of NEX Cycling Team.
Stage 4
Roxas to Roxas total distance 146.9 Kilometers
After three stages of action, the Filipinos won the last two stages of the race yet it was not enough to topple or even threaten the overall leadership of Francisco Mancebo. In this penultimate stage, Filipino riders must go all out to close the gap or even erase the more than three minutes lead of Francisco Mancebo.
Right after the 4 kilometers neutral zone, a twenty-man breakaway group immediately escape the peloton. However, Francisco Mancebo and the Matrix Team was quick to counter attack, chasing the lead pack with an amazing speed of 48 kilometers per hour. After 5 kilometers of a wild chase, the peloton was once again become one.
A second breakaway happened 128 kilometers into the finish line. The seven-man breakaway group was composed of Arjay Peralta of 7Eleven, Rudy Roque of Philippine Navy, Kangeun Joo of Korail Team Korea, Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin of Terengganu, Jamalidin Novardianto and Odie Sitayawan of PGN Indonesia and Ryan Tugawin of Team Franzia.
The peloton somehow allowed the seven-man group to take the lead since none of the riders were near the top ranking of the general classification.
At 55 Kilometers to the finish line, in Passi City, Iloilo, there was still no change of leadership and the seven-man lead pack was still intact. Their lead over the peloton was around four minutes.
At 30 Km Kilometers to the finish line, in Dumarao, Capiz the lead of the seven-man group over the peloton was three minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
It was at the last 10 kilometers to the finish line that Mancebo and Matrix Team goes full speed. Now averaging 49 Kilometers per hour they quickly reduced the time gap from almost four minutes to only 40 seconds.
However, it was not enough to completely catch up with the lead pack as they are now preparing for the final assault to the finish line.
It was another epic sprint finish with the seven-man team jockeying for position towards the finish line. But this time the Filipino’s were beaten to the draw as Jamalidin Novardianto edge out Rudy Roque for the stage leadership.
Stage 5
Roxas to Antique total distance 148.9 Kilometers
At this point of the race, Francisco Mancebo’s lead over Ronald Oranza and Dominic Perez seem to be insurmountable. It would take almost a miracle to overhaul the more than three minutes lead of Mancebo. However, Mancebo was still not taking any chances. According to Mancebo, it ain’t over till it’s over. There was still one last stage.
The first breakaway of the stage happens after twelve Kilometers from the start line. Junrey Navarra of PhilippineNavy leads the assault towing Seonhoe Bang of Korail Team Korea and Mochammadesmaeil Chaichiraghimi of Custom Cycling Indonesia. Their time over the peloton is 1 minute and 42 seconds.
Meanwhile, there was another breakaway from the peloton after 25 Kilometers from the start line. This time it was composed of the duo from Go for Gold Jonel Carcueva and Ismael Grospe. While the duo registering 39 Kilometers per hour, the peloton was only registering 28 Kilometers per hour. They were able to make around one minute of separation from the peloton.
At the 40 Kilometers from the start line, Jonel Carcueva and Ismael Grospe were able to catch up with the lead group. The new lead group now is becoming stronger with the addition of the two youngsters from Go for Gold. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, Ismael Grospe suffered a flat tire. The lead group now was down to the four men team.
After 90 Kilometers of dominance, the four-man lead team was already slowing down. A few minutes later Seonhoe Bang and Mochammadesmaeil Chaichiraghimi dis-engaged and drift away from the lead pack. That only left Jonel Carcueva and Junrey Navarra at the lead group.
Finally, the speeding peloton catches up with the lead group of Navarra and Carcueva at 38 Kilometers to the finish line. However, a few kilometers later another breakaway group emerged. The three-man group was composed of Artem Ovechkin of Terengganu, El Joshua Carino of Philippine Navy and Marvin Tapic of Team Army Bicycology.
What started as a three-man lead group was later turned into a one on one showdown between El Joshua Carino and the tour de Langkawi reigning champion Artem Ovechkin when Marvin Tapic fades away.
At 12 Kilometers to the finish line, the lead pack was only leading by around 30 seconds over the peloton. However, Team Philippine Navy might have succeeded in slowing down the peloton allowing their teammate El Joshua Carino and Ovechkin continue the lead.
At 5 Kilometers to the finish line, El Joshua and Ovechkin continues to lead over the peloton as they prepare for the final assault to the finish line. Tension builds up among the two, as it will be a Pinoy versus foreign rider showdown to the finish line.
And finally, as a fitting conclusion to the exciting 5 stages Ronda Pilipinas 2019 race. El Joshua Carino and Artem Ovechkin go all out for a lung-busting dash to the finish line. Few meters to the finish line, they go toe to toe until… El Joshua Carino clinched the victory for the proud Pinoy fans at the finish line.
Overall leadership was not moved with El Joshua’s victory. Francisco Mancebo Perez was crowned the Ronda Pilipinas 2019 champion.
Overall Winner Ronda Pilipinas 2019 Winners:
Champion: Francisco Mancebo of Matrix Powertag of Japan
2nd place: Ronald Oranza of Philippine Navy – Standard Insurance
3rd place: Dominic Perez of 7Eleven Cliqq- Air 21
For more details please visit Ronda Pilipinas FB page
Thanks to Sir Snow Badua and DJ Bobby for the sacrifice in covering this event.
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