Jermyn Prado, Ismael Gorospe also earn tickets to London race

Jan Paul Morales pulled away for a strong finish against Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado to rule the Philippine National Cycling Championships for Road over a technical and treacherous route on Friday in Subic and Bataan.

Ninety-six riders answered the gun for the men’s elite race of PhilCycling but it was Morales, a veteran national team member who emerged as one of the biggest winners of the event.

“I really went for the win but I had to work hard for this one,” said Morales after his victory that earned him not only P50,000 in cash from organizer Pru Life UK. He was also assured of an all-expenses paid trip to the Prudential Ride London in July.

Morales clocked 3 hours, 42 minutes and 55 seconds — same time as Oranza — over the 137-kilometer course that included a treacherous climb to the Dambana ng Mga Bayani at Mount Samat in Mariveles, Bataan.

Felipe Marcelo and Jonel Carcueva figured in a race incident close to the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center finish and shared third place in one of the races that highlight the PRUride PH 2018.

Oranza took home P25,000 while Marcelo and Carcueva shared the third and fourth place prizes of P15,000 and P12,500, respectively.

Also earning tickets to London and P50,000 each were Prado and under-23 winner Ismael Gorospe.

Prado clocked 3:26:00 to win gold in the 96.55-km women elite race, beating by more than two minutes Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ting Ting and by over five minutes Arianne Dormitorio.

Two-time Asean mountain bike champion Dormitorio was almost successful in her first foray with the road discipline but crashed against the strong cross winds inside Subic. Chang also banked P25,000 and P12,500, respectively.

Gorospe won the men's under-23 jewel in 3:45:40 over the same course at the elite race. Danielver Carinon and Ronilla Quita completed the podium.

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