Cebuano cyclist Jonel Carcueva (fourth from left) raises his arms during the awarding ceremonies after placing second in the Ronda Pilipinas Cebu qualifiers in Danao City. Joining him are (from left to right) Ronda Pilipinas project director Mo Chulani, third placer Ronald Aranza and top placer Junrey Navara.
GLENDALE G. ROSAL
Cebuano cyclist Jonel Carcueva serve notice of his huge biking potential when the Minglanilla native engaged title favorite Junrey Navara of Standard Insurance-Philippine Navy in a photo finish during the Visayas and Mindanao qualifier for the 2018 LBC Ronda Pilipinas in Danao City, north Cebu yesterday.
The 22-year old Carcueva of PCSO Go For Gold team, finished the race in three hours, 58 minutes and 35.40 seconds while Navara nodged ahead in 3:58.30, just five milliseconds ahead of the rising Cebuano rider.
Carcueva was stalled by leg cramps starting from Bogo City all the way to the finish line in Danao City in the 170-kilometer qualifier which cost him the top spot.
“I have to do my best in the race because I want to raise the banner of the Cebuanos. We have to defend our hometown, I don’t want to be humiliated in our hometown so I endured my cramps just to stick with Navara all the way to the finish line,” said Carcueva.
Carcueva placed 12th overall in last year’s LBC Ronda Pilipinas race which covered 14 stages and the Cebuano biker is determined to improve on that ranking when the national race unfolds in March of 2018.
. “I asked my teammates for salt in the middle of the race to recover from my cramps so I was not really expecting to finish second behind Navara, I was just lucky but nevertheless I am still proud because I was able to make our fellow Cebuanos proud especially my team and my family,” added Carcueva who will compete in an international uphill competition in Indonesia next month along with other PCSO Go For Gold cyclists.
The 25-year old Navara meanwhile, heaved a sigh of relief after finally bagging a slot to next year’s race proper. The General Santos City native was the only member of the Standard Insurance-Philippine Navy team who failed to qualify during the first qualifying race held in Tarlac last September.
Meanwhile, Ronda Pilipinas veteran Ronald Aranza completed the top three with a time of 3:59.16.10 while another Cebuano John Renee Mier settled for fourth place in 3:59.17.20.
The fifth to 10th placers were Ronnel Hualda (4:01.22.10), Jerry Aquino Jr. (4:01.22.20), Archie Cardaña (4:01.22.30), Luis Krog (4:01.22.50), Leonel Dimaano (4:01.22.60) and Arth Lorence Garlejo (4:01.23.40).
A total of 38 cyclists from a cast of around 200 in the Cebu leg, qualified for next year’s race that will have 11 stages.