Korean rider Dae Yeong Joo and Pinoy vet Ronald Oranza overcame plenty of obstacles on the way to their first and second place finishes in Stage 1 of the Tour of Luzon.
South Korea’s Dae-yeong Joo and the Philippines’ Ronald Oranza headlined the return of the Tour of Luzon after more than two decades, finishing first and second, respectively, in Stage 1 of the 2025 edition held on Thursday, April 24.
Joo, captain of the Gapyeong Cycling Team, clocked in at 4 hours, 13 minutes, and 2 seconds after pulling away from the main group in the final stretch of the 195.2-kilometer loop that began and ended in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
“I didn’t know that I was going to be able to do this,” Joo said in Korean. “I’ve been trying to do this for 15 years, I’ve never been able to do it. I’m so happy that I did it for the first time.”
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Joo admitted the solo effort in the heat made the win even tougher.
“The weather is also difficult since I’m trying to come in alone. It’s tough because I end up having to fight 1-on-1 riders and the main peloton. That’s the hardest part—you really have to read the situation and play it smart.”
Filipino veteran Ronald Oranza finished in second but admitted wanting to have gotten the top spot in the race.
“Siyempre nandun pa rin ‘yung pagkadismaya,” said Oranza. “Okay na rin ‘yung second pero mas okay sana kung first.”
Oranza acknowledged the difficulty of the final stretch, noting that the final 50 kilometers tested his endurance.
“'Yun 'yung pinaka-mahirap kasi dun mararamdaman mga cramps, pagod kasi sobrang tulin ng laro eh.”
Despite missing out on the top individual finish, Oranza’s squad—Standard Insurance—topped the team classification for Stage 1 with a combined time of 17:11:37 based on the top four finishers.
John Paul Morales, another top bet for Standard Insurance, was also part of the early breakaway with Joo and Oranza. However, the 39-year-old former national champion faded late and suffered a crash in the last 400 meters, ending up 54th overall.
“Nalaspag ako eh. Sabi ko nga, ma-survive lang naman ito, kahit second lang ako eh, pero ayun pinakalas pa rin ako nung Koreano,” said Morales. “Nagri-riding na ako eh, may sumalpok sakin sa likod.”
Morales finished with a time of 4:18:39—over five minutes behind the stage winner.
The Paoay-to-Pagudpud loop officially kicked off the eight-stage Tour of Luzon, marking a historic return of the storied race after a 23-year absence.
Stage 2 continues on Friday with a 68.39-kilometer 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.