Cebuano riders Jaybop Pagnanawon, Nino Surban and John Rene Mier will compete in the 2015 Ronda Pilipinas main event set Feb. 22 to 27 starting in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Pagnanawon, the son of legendary 1986 Marlboro Tour champion Rolando “Boy” Pagnanawon; 2015 Asean Mountainbike Cup Men’s Elite Cross Country Olympics division third placer Surban; and 2014 Asean Mountainbike Cup Junior Cross Country Olympics champion Mier qualified after the three-stage Visayas qualifier. They will be joined by 35 others.
Aside from the three, also making it into the national championship in the race presented by LBC, are Team Cebu’s Rey Martin, the third placer in the overall standings in the Visayas qualifying race; and Jaybop’s brother and rookie rider, Jhunvie Pagnanawon.
Jaybop shone the brightest among the five Cebuano qualifiers as he topped the Dumaguete City-Escalante City Stage 1 grind.
The 40 qualifiers will be headed by Visayas qualifier champion Boots Ryan Cayubit of 7-Eleven, his teammate Marcelo Felipe, Team Army’s Irish Valenzuela, 7-Eleven’s Baler Ravina and Cris Joven, Leonel Dimaano, LBC’s Junrey Navarra and Army’s Alvin Benosa.
Joining them will be Mark Juluis Bonzo, Denver Casayuran, Reynaldo Navarro, Oscar Rindole, Merculio Ramos, Jr., Tots Oledan, Dominic Perez, Marvin Tapic and Ronnel Hualda, Elmer Navarro, Arjay Peralta, Warren Vinan, Edwin Nacario, Leo Jade Lopez, Roy Carbonera, Lord Anthony del Rosario, Kenneth Lacuesta, Alvin Mandi, Roel Quintoy, Jose Renato Fuentes, Jr., Jerry Buhain, Ronnie Urdaneta, Mark Darrel Echavez, Peter Gregorio and newcomers Kenneth Solis, Daniel Ven Carino and Cesar Lapaza, Jr.