The revival of the race of the summer continues as the 2026 edition of the MPTC Tour of Luzon gets kickstarted with the Opening Ceremonies and Team Presentations on Tuesday at CaSoBe in Calatagan, Batangas.
Dubbed as "A Heritage in Motion," 91 riders split into thirteen teams are set to display their shiny jerseys as an appetizer for the grueling road ahead, featuring fourteen stages traversing the biggest island in the Philippines.
Set to address them in the ceremony, which starts at 5pm, are Philippines Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio, and the tour's Chief Organizer and CEO Arrey Perez, which will also feature a message from Philippine Olympic Committee president and concurrently the head of PhilCycling, the national sports association for cycling, Abraham Tolentino, as well as opening remarks from NLEX Corporation president and general manager Luis Reñon.
In addition, gracing the event are Mediaquest Holdings Inc President and CEO Ricky Vargas, who also is a member of the Board of Directors for the tour's Organizing Committee, as well as Games and Amusements Board chairman Atty. Francisco Rivera, Calatagan Mayor Rico Puno and Cardinal Santos Medical Center president and CEO Raul Pagdanganan.
Also among the distinguished guests are noted cycling enthusiast and MMDA General Nicolas Torre III, who was one of the participants in Sunday's Heritage Race for cycling executives, and the family of the late cycling patron Albert Lina.
Aside for the messages, the ceremony will feature the handover of the MPTC Tour of Luzon Perpetual Trophy from inaugural champion MPTC DriveHub back to the organizers. In order to keep this trophy, they will need to win this upcoming edition and the next one after that.
Concluding the events on Tuesday will be a fireworks display on the shore off Balayan Bay.
Race proper begins on Wednesday with a festive and booming Grand Departure starting at 9am, with Stage 1 set to conclude at Tagaytay City. It is the lone stage in Southern Luzon with the start of Stage 2 taking place in Clark. In a tour first, it will feature a couple of Hors Category climbs, with one on the tenth stage from Candon City, Ilocos Sur to Bessang Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Norte, as well as on the final stage from Lingayen Pangasinan to John Hay Hotels in Baguio City.
Returning to defend his individual crown and leading the foreign contingent in the tour is Joo Dae Young of Gapyeong Cycling Team, one of two Korean teams participating.
The rest of the foreign legion are comprised of Seoul Cycling Team, LCW UAE Cycle, CCN Factory Racing (Hong Kong), Ponti Wijaya Racing Team (Indonesia), and the Malaysian National Team.
Aside from the defending champions MPTC DriveHub, representing the Philippines are known continental players 7-Eleven CLIQQ Roadbike Philippines and Go For Gold Philippines, as well as Standard Insurance Philippines, DReyna Orion Cement Pro Cycling Team, Excellent Noodles, and Pangasinan Cycling Team.
The MPTC Tour of Luzon is co-presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, and supported by the MVP Group of Companies and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), while also aligned with the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NSTIAC).
Details about the race are in the official website tourofluzoncycling.com and its corresponding Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tourofluzoncycling.
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