The LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2019 begins Friday in Iloilo City with local teams headed by Navy-Standard Insurance, Go for Gold and 7 Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines aiming to fend off the strong foreign challenge.

The Navymen will go for their 6th straight team title while the Go for Gold and 7 Eleven riders, who are both Continental teams, will rely on their international experience to carry the fight for the host country in this 5-stage, UCI-sanctioned race participated in by 15 teams of six riders.

Navy is a loaded team as it will be bannered by reigning Ronda champion Ronald Oranza, 2-time winner and skipper Jan Paul Morales and 2018 Le Tour titlist El Joshua Carino and composed of Ronald Lomotos, Junrey Navarra and Rudy Roque, who are all capable of pulling a surprise or two.

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Go for Gold, for its part, is skippered by Ronnel Hualda and is comprised of Ronilan Quita, Jonel Carcueva, Elmer Navarro, Boots Ryan Cayubit and newly acquired Daniel Van Carino, who was formerly of Navy and 7 Eleven.

The 7 Eleven squad will be without its long-time leader Mark Galedo but remains a legitimate contender having Marcelo Felipe, 2012 Ronda king Irish Valenzuela, Rustom Lim, George Oconer, Dominic Perez, Arjay Peralta.

Other Philippine teams in the mix are Team Franzia of two-time Ronda winner Santy Barnachea, Army-Bicycology, Team Tarlac and a Jaybop Pagnanawon-led Bike Xtreme squad.

They will be up against world-class competition in Terengganu, Matrix, Nex Cycling Team, Korail Team Korea, Custom Cycling Indonesia, Cambodia Cycling, PGN Road Cycling and Sri Lanka Navy Cycling Team.

The race opens with the 197.6-kilometer Iloilo-Iloilo Stage 1 on February 8 and will proceed with the 101.8-km Guimaras-Guimaras Stage 2 the next day.

The cavalcade will then go back to Iloilo for the 179.4-km Iloilo-Roxas City Stage Three on February 10 followed by the 146.9-km Roxas-Roxas Stage Four on February 11.

It will conclude with the 148.9-km Roxas-Antique Stage Five on February 12.

The awarding ceremony will be held in the island paradise of Boracay the same day.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)