A bigger and better Tour of Luzon awaits Filipino cyclists as it gets going on 29 April and ending on 13 May.
With 14 stages and a staggering P2 million prize for the team winner and P1 million for the individual champion, MVP Group of Companies chairman Manny V. Pangilinan said it was to entice more cyclists to join after a successful staging of the revived Tour of Luzon last year.
Joo Dae Yeong of South Korea won last year’s edition.
“It is meant to attract more cyclists to the event and attract foreign competition. We want to make the Philippines a focal point of cycling in Asia,” Pangilinan said.
Tour of Luzon president Arrey Perez said representatives from La Vuelta, the biggest cycling race in Spain, will observe how the competition will run.
“We said to ourselves after last year’s Tour of Luzon that we need to organize it better. It was successful in our eyes but we knew we have to improve,” Perez said.
“La Vuelta told us they want to come to the Philippines as they saw cycling as a big sport here. We are enticed by the prospect of having them as a technical partner.”
“But there isn’t any definite arrangement yet. They will just visit the Philippines during the Tour of Luzon and we’ll see what will happen after then.”
Over 150 cyclists are expected to compete this year.
Stage 1 will start from Calatagan, Batangas to Tagaytay City with Stage 2 a 40km team time trial in Clark, Pampanga to New Clark City in Tarlac.
The Clark to Palayan City, Nueva Ecija route will be Stage 3 while Stage 4 will be from Palayan to Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.
Stage 5 will be from Bayombong to Tuguegarao, with Stage 6 from Tuguegarao to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
Stage 7 will be a 30km individual time trial (ITT) race in Pagudpud while Stage 8 will travel from Pagudpud to Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
Stage 9 will pedal from Laoag to Candon, Ilocos Norte while Stage 10 will be from Candon to Candon in Ilocos Sur.
Stage 11 will have cyclists go down from Candon to San Juan, La Union with Stage 12 being a race from Subic to Mangatarem, Pangasinan through Daang Kalikasan.
A 20km ITT stage in Lingayen will be the penultimate stage before the last stage from Lingayen to Camp John Hay in Baguio City.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio couldn’t help but feel excited for this year’s Tour of Luzon.
