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Cycling: Army's Cris Joven looks to crash Navymen's party as Ronda travels to Lucena

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ABS-CBN News

Cris Joven barged into the top 10 of the individual standings with a solid performance in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas on Thursday.As the race heads to Lucena City on Sunday, his next objective is to break an all-Navy party at the top.The Kinetix Lab-Army rider tries to squeeze himself into the title conversation dominated by Navy-Standard Insurance teammates Rudy Roque and Jan Paul Morales, as Stage 5 opens in the Quezon provincial capital.Joven, 30, bared his true fangs to rule Stage 4 in Subic Bay last week that propelled him from 14th to 9th in the overall standings. He&#x27;s expected to make another huge leap in the 251-kilometer stage that finishes at Camsur Watersports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur.&quot;I hope this is a start of something big for me, hopefully I&#x27;ll have some rest and try to go for it again,&quot; said Joven, who arrived in Lucena City Friday along with the rest of the Ronda delegation and has tested part of the Stage 4 route amid inclement weather.Joven is also hoping to make his hometown proud being a native of Iriga, Camarines Sur.&quot;Although we will not pass by Iriga where I was born and grew up, I hope to meet some friends and family along the way and make them proud of me,&quot; said Joven, now an Army private.After 4 stages, Joven has an aggregate time of 11 hours, 13 minutes and 45 seconds, 4 1/2 minutes behind Roque and 3 minutes off Morales&#x27; time.Roque and Morales, last year&#x27;s Ronda champion, have total times of 11:12:15 and 11:13:45, respectively.Morales, 31, has been the biggest gainer since a subpar Stage 1 performance, languishing from outside the top 20 to shooting up to No. 2, thanks to a pair stage victories in Vigan and Subic.&quot;I like my chances, I just need to race intelligently and pace myself,&quot; said Morales, of Calumpang, Marikina.For the 25-year-old Roque, Stage 5 will be critical to his campaign.&quot;As I&#x27;ve said before, if I will still be on top after Stages 3, 4 and 5, then I have a chance. And so far, I&#x27;m doing OK,&quot; said Roque, who hails from Tipo, Bataan.Navy&#x27;s Ronald Lomotos (11:14:33) is at No. 3, while Ilocos Sur&#x27;s Ryan Serapio (11:16:07) is at No. 4, thanks to a podium finish in Stage 4.Completing the top 10 are Navy&#x27;s Jay Lampawog (11:16:12), Kinetix Lab-Army&#x27;s Reynaldo Navarro (11:16:21), Go for Gold&#x27;s Joshua Mari Bonifacio (11:16:28), Navy&#x27;s Daniel Ven Carino (11:16:35) and Go for Gold&#x27;s Ismael Grospe, Jr. (11:17:43).For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

The Kinetix Lab-Army rider tries to squeeze himself into the title conversation dominated by Navy-Standard Insurance teammates Rudy Roque and Jan Paul Morales, as Stage 5 opens in the Quezon province capital.

The Kinetix Lab-Army rider tries to squeeze himself into the title conversation dominated by Navy-Standard Insurance teammates Rudy Roque and Jan Paul Morales, as Stage 5 opens in the Quezon province capital.