BAGUIO CITY — Korean rider Joo Daeyoung of Gapyeong Pro Cycling loved the fit, style and design of the symbolic leader’s jersey that he didn’t give the 118 other riders the chance to see how the canary-colored uniform would look on them in the 2025 Tour of Luzon.

The race leader from the onset of the eight-stage race in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Joo captured top honors Thursday when he logged a total time of 22 hours, 21 minutes and eight seconds to edge Filipino Jan Paul Morales of Standard Insurance for the prestigious title and the P1 million first-prize cash award.

Morales had to settle for the P500,000 prize.

Joo was actually threatened in the crucial Stage 8 that got going 177.54 kilometers away in Lingayen, Pangasinan, as he temporarily lost the leadership just before the ascent to the City of Pines when Mervin Corpuz of MPT DriveHub.

But Joo, showing that he was made of stern stuff, kept himself in contention even while finding himself trailing an 11-man pack spiked by Corpuz.

Joo, 28, displayed steely nerves and incredible endurance as he had to deal with a busted rear tire earlier and eventually caught up with the peloton even if his team got decimated in the runup to Stage 8 owing to injuries.

“I just kept on going and going. I wasn’t thinking too much about the yellow jersey. I just go on and on and on,” Joo said.

Jonel Carcueva of MPT DriveHub, a part of the breakaway group, landed at third place and bagged the P350,000 prize.

The thrill and excitement escalated just before the riders began the climb via Kennon Road with Mervin Corpuz of MPT DriveHub, who was being groomed to rip Joo’s yellow jersey apart, even becoming the provisionary leader.

But the lanky Corpuz — a nephew of Tour great Santi Barnachea, a four-time winner — melted away as the ride became tougher along the dreaded Kennon Road, the 33.5-kilometer mountain pass in Benguet and La Union that is notorious for several switchbacks and steep and winding climbs.

As soon as the Joshua Lim of Dreyna Orion Cement got past the Lion’s Head, Joshua Pascual of Excellent Noodles came out of nowhere to lead the way, racing past Lim and pedaling his way to the stage win in four hours, 16 minutes and 14 seconds and the coveted Eagle of the Mountain plum.

Morales still gave himself a decent grade for his solid showing, adding that it’s always hard to predict what’s going to happen during a road race.

Rounding up the rest of the top ten were Nichol Pareja of Victoria Sports (22:22:02), Jeremy Lizardo of Standard Insurance (22:23:40), Rench Bondoc of 7Eleven (22:24:15), James Paul Escumbien of Go For Gold (22:24:42), Jerico Lucero, also of Go For Gold (22:24:50), Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance (22:24:53) and Rustom Lim of MPT DriveHub (22:25:50).

In the team event, MPT DriveHub ran away with the top honors and the P1 million prize while Standard Insurance wound up second and Go For Gold finished third.

The event, the first since the pandemic, covered a total of 1,085 kilometers and brought the Tour contingent to Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga and parts of Tarlac.

Presented by Manny V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Tollway Corporation and organized by Patrick Gregorio’s Duckworld PH, this year’s Tour proved to be a smash hit among cycling fans, prompting the stakeholders to look forward to the 2026 edition.

All in all, the 2025 Tour featured two back-to-back stage winners in Ean Cajucom of Victoria Sports Pro Cycling and Joseph Javiniar of Excellent Noodles.

Malaysian Zahin Wahhi of Malaysia Pro Cycling also took the spotlight for a while by taking Stage 6 when the race went to Lingayen.

The Tour began in 1955 as the Manila to Vigan classic and later on it morphed into the Marlboro Tour, Tour of Calabarzon, Tour Pilipinas, Padyak Pinoy and Le Tour de Filipinas.

Among those who became legends of road racing included Antonio Arzala, Jose Sumalde, Cornelio Padilla, Jesus Garcia, Manuel Reynante, Paquito Rivas, Jacinto Sicam, Gerry Igos, Renato Dolosa, Carlo Guieb, Victor Espiritu and Santi Barnachea.