MANILA – Riders from the Philippine Navy captured the two golds at stake in the road race of the PhilCycling National Trials for Road at the Clark Freeport Zone on Sunday.
The Standard Insurance-backed Navy squad even swept the podium in the men's race with Ronald Oranza leading the way.
The native of Villasis, Pangasinan ruled the 147.6-kilometer men's race that traversed the Metro Angeles area by clocking in at three hours, 18 minutes and 25.80 seconds.
George Oconer finished second after finishing at 3:18:32.15, 6.35 seconds behind Oranza, while Ronald Lomotos capped Navy's 1-2-3 finish by taking the bronze after crossing the finish line at 3:18:35.23, barely three seconds behind Oconer.
“We did our best to protect each other throughout the race, and we managed to book a 1-2-3 finish,” the 28-year-old Oranza said.
Kate Velasco took the women's gold after finishing the 80.7-kilometer road race at 2:15:17.62.
It also looked to be a podium sweep by Navy in the distaff side, but Avegail Rombaon stole the show after surpassing Mathilda Krogg and Marianne Dacumos in the endgame to take silver at 2:15:19.38.
Krogg settled for the bronze after finishing at the wrong end of a photo finish, 0.37 second behind Rombaon in particular.
“I never expected to win today [the road race]. It was Marianne, our senior, who’s in our game plan, but I got the opportunity, so we didn’t let that slip away,” said Velasco, who also won the women's individual time trial gold on Saturday.
The PhilCycling trials were the first set of cycling events organized amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Oranza hopes the sport would continue in its comeback trail from hereon.
“I am praying this trials will mark the return of cycling events all over the country,” Oranza added. (PNA)
