South Korea's Dae Young Joo of the Gapyeong Cycling Team is the first to clinch a stage win in The Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival, along with Standard Insurance Philippines for the team category.
South Korea’s Dae Young Joo of Gapyeong Cycling Team wasted no time making his presence felt, sprinting to a commanding win in Stage 1 of the Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival on Thursday to kick off the historic race’s much-awaited comeback.
Joo clocked an impressive 4:13:02.763 over the grueling 190.29-kilometer Paoay loop, claiming both the stage victory and 22 valuable points in the individual classification as the Tour returned to the road after a six-year hiatus.
Veteran Filipino rider Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance Philippines (SIP) placed second and secured 13 points, showing why he remains one of the most feared names in local cycling. Aidan James Mendoza of Go for Gold (G4G) completed the podium with a strong third-place effort, earning nine points.
The South Korean's stage win, however, wasn't enough to stop the hometown teams from making a strong statement. Standard Insurance Philippines, powered by Oranza and other key riders, claimed the Stage 1 team victory with a cumulative time of 17:11:37, edging out MPT Drivehub Cycling Team (17:11:55) and Go for Gold (17:12:58).
The Tour’s Long-Awaited Revival
Presented by the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation and organized by DuckWorld PH, the Tour of Luzon made a roaring comeback, attracting 119 riders from 17 teams, including four foreign squads and top local outfits such as 7Eleven Cliqq, Victoria Sports Pro, and Go for Gold.
“We are all excited. We are all thankful. The Tour of Luzon is back. This is for Philippine cycling. This is for the Filipino people,” said DuckWorld PH chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, who formally opened the race in traditional fashion—ringing a lap bell in symbolic celebration.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also the head of PhilCycling, echoed the sentiment: “It’s a thrilling and exciting time for all cycling enthusiasts and fans all over the country. The cycling community has waited for this. Now this is the moment.”
What’s Next
Stage 2 continues on Friday with a 68.39km team time trial from Paoay to Vigan City, a key early opportunity for teams to solidify their standings. The eight-stage race will span 1,074.90 kilometers, culminating in the mountainous Stage 8 Queen Stage from Lingayen to the iconic Scout Hill finish inside Camp John Hay in Baguio City.
At stake: ?500,000 for the individual general classification champion and a cool ?1 million for the top team. But more than the prize money, it’s the pride of riding in the country’s most storied cycling race that fuels these athletes as the Great Revival powers forward.
[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]