Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival kicks off in April

THE stage is set for the fabled Tour of Luzon to again hit the road this summer.

The great revival of the iconic multistage cycling race presented by Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and DuckWorld Philippines kicks off April 24 up north in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, and rolls for eight days across the region's diverse terrain before reaching its climax on a punishing climb en route to Camp John Hay in Baguio City.

"The Tour of Luzon is not just a race; it is a symbol of grandness and nobility. Its greatness lies in its vision — a vision that dared to conquer the impossible through sheer force of will, discipline and determination," said MPTC Chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan.

Filipino riders from 12 local-based teams have already confirmed participation with three foreign squads from Southeast Asia asking to be invited to the bike-a-thon, where they will pedal for 1,050 kilometers (km) of vibrant scenery on high-speed routes, coastal roads, mountain passes and even urban areas.

Top officials of the Tour's organizing committee unveiled the details of the eight-day race in a press conference Friday at the Meralco Lighthouse with Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commis-sion Chairman Richard Bachmann, DuckWorld Philippines Chairman Patrick Gregorio, MPTC Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez and Race Director Lorenzo Lomibao Jr.

"The Great Revival of the Tour of Luzon realizes a great dream for Philippine cycling. It is a privilege to work with the MVP Group and PhilCycling to rebuild this legacy. We cannot ask for better partners who truly appreciate the value and potential of this sport," said Gregorio.

Stage 1 is anticipated to be an out-and-back ride for 170 kilometers along the coastline of Ilocos Norte from Laoag all the way to Pagudpud and the Patapat viaduct before returning to the province's capital on the same route. Prior to the first stage, the opening ceremony will showcase the riders in a team presentation on April 23 with UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Conti-nental Teams 7Eleven Roadbike Philippines, Standard Insurance Philippines, Victoria Cycling Team and Go For Gold Cycling Team leading the pack.

"On behalf of the entire cycling community, we would like to express our gratitude to the MVP Group and DuckWorld for re-viving the Tour of Luzon. This historic race will help us discover more talents for the national team," said Tolentino, who also sits as PhilCycling president.

Domestic teams Excellent Noodles, D' Reyna and Dandex Multi-Sports have likewise confirmed attendance as well as squads from the local government units of Iloilo, Nueva Vizcaya, Davao, Cebu and Tagaytay City-Tom N' Toms Toms National Under-23.

These teams, featuring homegrown cycling talents, will figure in the Team Time Trial on the second stage on April 25 covering 80 km from Laoag to Vigan in Ilocos Sur.

"It has been my lifelong dream to see the first Filipino cyclist compete in the Tour de France. Reviving the Tour of Luzon is a vital step toward achieving that dream. It is about breaking barriers, one 'impossible' challenge at a time," said Pangilinan. From Vigan, the riders will race on a relatively flat course to Agoo, La Union, (170 km) in Stage 3 before they ride to Clark in Pampanga via the SCTEx in Stage 4.

The Singapore National Team, ASC Monsters Indonesia, Vietnam National Team and three club teams from Thailand will banner the foreign challenge in the Tour supported by the Philippine National Police, Department of Public Works and High-ways, Games and Amusements Board, and the participating local government units.

The race is also sanctioned by PhilCycling, cycling's local governing body in the country recognized by the UCI. "We have 15 teams who have expressed interest.

After the launch, negotiations will begin with the local teams as well as the overseas teams that asked to be invited," said Lomibao.

Stage 5 will take the Tour entourage to Clark New City in Tarlac and will return to Clark after riding 120 km on April 28 prior to Stage 6 on April 29 from Clark to Lingayen, Pangasinan (150 km).

The penultimate seventh stage is an individual team trial covering a 30-km race in and around the seaside municipality of Lin-gayen.

The Tour champion will be crowned after the final stage — a 180-km ride, including a grueling trek on Kennon Road going to Camp John Hay in Baguio City.