Phl riders chase Tour of Luzon glory

Southeast Asian Games medalist Ronald Oranza and Jan Paul Morales are two of 10 members of the PhilCycling men’s national team who are seeing action in different teams in the Tour of Luzon: Great Revival that starts Thursday in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Oranza, double bronze medalist at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games, and Morales lead the International Cycling Union (UCI) continental team along with the veteran Junrey Navarra in the eight-stage race presented by the MVP Group’s Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and organized by DuckWorld PH.

Reigning national road champion Marcelo Felipe and Nichol Pareja, meanwhile, are racing for another continental team, Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team, as well as Ruzzel Agapito for 7-Eleven Click Roadbike Philippines.

Steven Tablizo and Andrei Deudor are spearheaded of the Philippines U23 Tom N Toms squad, with Joshua Pascual and Julius Tudtud donning the jerseys of Excellent Noodles and DReyna Orion Cement squads.

The Tour of Luzon kicks off with the opening ceremony at the quadrangle in front of the world heritage site San Agustin (Paoay) Church with Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla expected to grace the event along with Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee and the sanctioning PhilCycling.