PAOAY, Ilocos Norte — It took Filipino rider Ryan Tugawin three stages to finally get his redemption and become only the second local rider to take a top podium finish in the Metro MPTC Tour of Luzon 2026.

The resumption of the pedal-pushing action on Thursday saw the Excellent Noodles Cycling Team bet sprint his way to ruling the 148.4-kilometer Stage 8 race that ended in front of the historic baroque San Agustin Church here.

Even at the age of 36, Tugawin showed that he can still give younger rivals a run for their money in the sprint race that rolled out from the coastal town of Pagudpud.

Giving chase from the back bunch for most of the relatively flat course, the pride of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya formed a six-rider lead pack in the last 40 kilometers before crossing the finish line first in a group finish with a time of three hours, 16 minutes and 58 seconds.

“There was already a breakaway pack. Six of us jumped in front before the group behind us caught up. Another charge scattered the group but the six of us maintained our pace,” Tugawin said.

Among the six-rider lead pack were four other Filipinos in Go for Gold’s Marvin Mandac, CCN Factory’s Olsen Ferrer, MPTC Drive Hub’s Nash Lim and Erickson delos Santos of D’Reyna Orion Cement. National Team Malaysia’s Ariff Danial Noor Roseidi was the only foreign rider in the bunch.

“When we were breaking away, we Filipino riders talked and decided to help each other. Actually, even the Malaysian helped during that separation that widened our gap,” added Tugawin, who bounced back after a heartbreaking second place finish in the Santiago City, Isabela to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Stage 5.

LCW UAE’s Ivan Anisimov ruled Stage 5 in his second of back-to-back stage victories.

“I’m super happy with this win. In the last 500 meters Nash Lim got in front and I tried to keep pace. Erickson them jumped in in the last 300 meters before I got in front in the last 200 with the Malaysian. From there, we just kept on attacking and I got to cross first.”

Tugawin’s win was only the second for local riders in the 14-stage bikefest following Dave Montemayor’s Stage 3 victory in the New Clark City in Tarlac to Palayan City in Nueva Ecija course.

Roseidi took second and Mandac landed third, finishing with the same time as Tugawin. Ferrer and Lim also tallied the same clocking in fourth and fifth, respectively, while Delos Santos was three seconds back in sixth.

LCW UAE Cycling Team’s Nikita Shulchenko maintained his hold of the yellow jersey with a total time of 22:48:34.

Despite a 49th place finish in the stage and 16 seconds behind Tugawin, the Russian ace stayed a minute and 38 seconds ahead of teammate Yousef Ibrahiem Alrefai and four minutes and 15 seconds from 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippine’s Mervin Corpuz.

“It was a very fast race. We fought hard and worked as a team to protect the yellow and it’s all good,” said the 26-year-old Shulchenko as he kept the yellow jersey for the sixth straight stage. 

Go for Gold built a one-minute, 17-second gap from second-running Standard Insurance Philippines with a total time of 90:22:18.

7-Eleven remained in far third, three minutes and four seconds back.

Stage 9 on Friday is a 137.6-km race from Laoag City to Candon City in Ilocos Sur.