A total of 119 riders representing 17 teams, including four from overseas, hit the road on 24 April as the fabled Tour of Luzon returns with a “The Great Revival” edition in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Shelved at least thrice since the Manila-Vigan inaugural race in 1956, the Tour of Luzon — presented by the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), DuckWorld PH and Cignal TV — will be all of eight stages traversing seven Northern and Central Luzon provinces with a mountain top finish inside Camp John Hay in Baguio City.

“The legendary Tour of Luzon is back,” said Patrick “Patò” Gregorio, president of DuckWorld PH whose collaboration with MPTC, led by Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez, resulted in the return of the Tour of Luzon last staged in 2019 via the international Le Tour de Filipinas.

“The excitement has bordered from excitement to the extreme for once again, we’ll see the best of Philippine road cycling reliving the historic summer sports tradition,” Perez added.

Up for grabs in the PhilCycling-sanctioned race is a P1-million cash prize and a year’s possession of the Tour of Luzon perpetual trophy for the team champion and P500,000 and a uniquely-crafted trophy for the general individual classification winner.

The eight stages cover a total of 1,074.90 kilometers starting with the 190.70-km Paoay-Paoay (via Pagudpud) Stage 1 on 24 April, 68.39-km Paoay-Vigan team time trial Stage 2 on 25 April,130.33-km Vigan-San Juan (La Union) Stage 3 on 26 April, 162.97-km Agoo-Clark Stage 4 on 27 April, 166.65 Clark-Clark (via New Clark City and Tarlac) Stage 5 on 28 April, 168.19 Clark-Lingayen Stage 6 on 29 April, and 15.14-km individual time trial Labrador-Lingayen Stage 7 on 30 April.

Come 1 May, the surviving cyclists will pedal 172.53 kms from Lingayen to a top-of-the-hill finish at the Scout Hill section inside Camp John Hay, the final queen stage that’s expected to determine who lifts the champions’ trophies in the race being staged through sports patron Manny Pangilinan’s MVP Group’s advocacy to promote sports in all disciplines and at all levels.

“Besides bringing the Tour of Luzon back on the road, we are also reviving the prestigious ‘Eagle of the Mountain’ title which will go to whoever wins the punishing Stage 8,” Gregorio said.

“It could all boil down to that final stage.”

Kennon Road will again play a major role in determining the champion with an all uphill last 32 kms grind in the final stage with gradients that go beyond 20 percent.

The Philippines’ four International Cycling Union continental teams — 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines, Standard Insurance Philippines, Go For Gold Philippines and Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team — lead the cast of protagonists that include foreign squads CCN Factory HK from Hong Kong, Malaysia Pro Cycling, Bryton Racing Team from Taiwan and Gapyeong Cycling Team from South Korea.

Rounding out the teams are the Philippines Under-23-Tom N Toms Coffee squad and top clubs Excellent Noodles, DReyna Orion Cement, Dandez T-Prime Cycling Team, Exodus Army, MPT Drive Hub Cycling Team, 1 Team Visayas, One Cycling Mindanao and Team Pangasinan.