Rombaon, Krogg rule road races

Avegail Rombaon and Mathilda Krogg made Team Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance proud by sweeping the women's road race titles in the PhilCycling National Championships for Road 2024 in Cavite and Batangas on Thursday.

Rombaon made a solo breakaway after the first 50 kilometers and held sway by keeping a consistent pace in the Sampaloc climb in Laurel to cross solo after four hours, 22 minutes and 03.69 seconds.

A multi-faceted cyclist — she clinched an MTB bronze in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games also in Laurel town — Rombaon dethroned Jermyn Prado, who chased solo in the final 30 kms of the 134-km Women Elite race that started and ended at the Praying Hands in Tagaytay City.

Prado clocked 4:23:21.83 to finish ahead of Maura de los Reyes, who completed a 1-3 Standard Insurance finish with her bronze medal in 4:28:33.77 in the race organized by PhilCycling and calendared by the UCI.

Krogg also had time to spare in winning the Women Under-23 crown with her 4:24:22.40 clocking in the championships.

Wenizah Claire Vinoya crossed 26 seconds later and Raven Joy Valdez more than a minute later to make the medal ceremony graced by Philippine Olympic Committee and PhilCycling president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino and Standard Insurance Group chairman Ernesto "Judes" Echauz.

Kim Bonilla, meanwhile, dominated the Women Junior race on Wednesday, winning her third gold medal after the criterium and time trial in 1:08.73. Rosalie de la Cruz (1:12:31.73) and Jazmine Kaye Vinoya (1:27:57.97) completed the podium.

Mark Baruelo (2:02:23.13) won the Men Junior road race, followed by Carl Ivan Alagano (2:02:32.76) and Charles Ferrer (2:02:44.73).