Mission accomplished for Gregorio, Tour of Luzon

BAGUIO CITY — From the great revival last year, the MPTC Tour of Luzon 2026 has already accomplished the main goal of the brains behind the bikefest.

Tour of Luzon has made cycling in the Philippines great again.

Fourteen stages that traversed 13 provinces and a total race distance of 1,825.10 kilometers of fierce pedal-pushing action have gripped the nation.

Over two weeks on the road from Calatagan in Batangas to the breezy mountaintop city of Baguio, for the conclusion, has drawn interest from curious spectators, casual fans, and cycling pundits alike.

Names of Russian Nikita Shulchenko and Frenchman Antoine Huby echoed behind their great feats while local riders Dave Montemayor and Ryan Tugawin raised Filipino pride with their stage wins.

The second edition, fittingly tagged as “Heritage in Motion,” intensified the clamor for the sports spectacle on two wheels. 

“There’s no stopping this,” Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said.

“As (Philippine Olympic Committee) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said, there’s no stopping the Tour of Luzon. The Tour of Luzon is here to stay,” he added.

In fact, Gregorio led the unveiling of the Tour of Luzon 2027 during the closing ceremonies held in Camp John Hay here on Wednesday to celebrate the race’s success.

“The question is, will there be a new route in 2027? Will there be new destinations in 2027? But the Tour of Luzon is here to stay. It is really a heritage in motion,” he added.

This year’s edition gave cyclists a different challenge from long, exhausting flat rides to lung-busting and demanding climbs compounded by punishing summer heat that soared to hellish temperatures.

But in the end, it was Shulchenko who emerged on top after winning the individual general classification by one minute and 34 seconds over relentless pursuer Eagle of the Mountain winner Huby.

The LCW UAE all-around ace held the yellow jersey from Stage 3 and fiercely protected it until the final climb amid the challenge given by the 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines import.

“It’s been very successful 14 stages that started in Calatagan, Batangas last April 29, that’s 1,800 kilometers of race,” Gregorio said.

“As you’ve witnessed the champion was good. The runner-up was good. It was exciting up to the last stage as the runner-up almost caught up with the champion. We’ve seen world class riders at their best. And It’s how it should be,” he added.

Overall, Gregorio saw Tour of Luzon’s success beyond the race winners and heart-pounding action.

He considered it a triumph in winning the heart of a nation.

“We already realized the big difference from last year’s Tour of Luzon because it’s a great revival. So many young people don’t know about the Tour of Luzon. Many people forgot about the Tour of Luzon,” he said.