DALLAS Stars right wing Alexander Radulov is knocked off his feet by Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin during their NHL game in Dallas on Friday. AP

Many-time champion Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance will to try to defend its place and lead the hosts against the expected strong foreign challenge in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2019 set 8 to 12 February in Iloilo, Guimaras, Roxas City and Antique.

The Navymen will have a chance to compete against the best of them after lording over the past few editions of this annual race, considered the biggest in the country today, and help the country earn vital Olympic qualifying points for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Navy will be spearheaded by a loaded roster headed by reigning Ronda king Ronald Oranza, two-time champion Jan Paul Morales and last year’s third placer and many-time King of the Mountain winner Junrey Navarra.

Navy also boasts of Ronald Lomotos, Rudy Roque and El Joshua Carino, who are all consistent top 10 finishers in the past, in the fold, making it one of the teams to watch out for in this five-stage race bankrolled by LBC and MVP Sports Foundation.

“This is our chance to show we can also compete against strong international teams,” said Morales, the Navy skipper.

For Oranza, who beat Morales last year claim his very first Ronda crown, it will be for country and pride.

“In the past, we race to win for our Navy team and ourselves. This year, it will be for the country,” Oranza said.

Sanctioned by the world governing Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for the first time in the nine-year history of the country’s biggest cycling race, the event has drawn participation from 15 teams including seven local teams headed by Navy.

Other local teams seeing action are Army Bicycology, Go for Gold, 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Phls, Team Franzia, Team Tarlac and Bike Xtreme while international challenge will come from Matrix Powertag Japan, Nex Cycling, Korail Team Korea, PGN Road Cycling Team, Sri Lanka Navy Cycle Team, Customs Cycling Indonesia, Terengganu Cycling Team and Cambodia Cycling Team.