Making MVP’s dream come true

March 18, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Reviving the Tour of Luzon is a step towards making sports patron and business executive Manny V. Pangilinan’s dream of a Filipino cyclist qualifying for the Tour de France, the jewel of the world’s three renowned Grand Tours that include the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana, come true.

The Tour of Luzon traces its beginnings to 1955, metamorphosed into the Tour of the Philippines in 1977, Marlboro Tour in 1982, Padyak Pinoy in 2002, Le Tour de Pilipinas in 2009 and returns to its original iconic name after a five-year hiatus with an eight-leg race that starts in Paoay on April 24 and ends in Baguio on May 1. The coming event will be the 42nd in the Tour’s history.

“It all started from MVP’s dream,” said Arrey Perez, chief regulatory officer of race sponsor Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) on SEAG Live. “Sabi ko, why not revive Tour of Luzon sa expressways kasi, we have tollways. So we started planning and a good partner DuckWorld had the same idea as they were also thinking about reviving it.”

DuckWorld CEO Patrick Gregorio recalled in 2009, MVP gave Padyak Pinoy winner Joel Calderon a lightweight carbon bike worth P100,000 after finding out the tricycle driver from Nueva Ecija used an old model borrowed from a nephew for the race. “MVPSF supports Philippine cycling and MVP has always wanted to see a Filipino cyclist in the Tour de France,” said Gregorio.

This year’s edition will traverse 1,003 kilometers. The legs are Paoay to Paoay with a Pagudpud U-turn, Paoay to Vigan, Vigan to San Juan (La Union), Agoo to Clark, Clark to Clark with a New Clark City U-turn, Clark to Lingayen and Lingayen to Camp John Hay, Baguio. Race commissare Jun Lomibao said 15 teams with seven riders each are participating. Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan are joining the Tour where the team champion earns P1 million and the individual champion, P500,000. Lomibao added that prizes are scaled down to 15th place in the overall team classification and to No. 10 in the overall individual category.

“The Tour is the highlight of the Philippine road cycling season and since it’s sanctioned and supervised by PhilCycling, our NSA headed by POC president Bambol Tolentino, it’s the final criterion for the selection of national team cyclists,” said Lomibao. Tour GM Allan Gregorio noted the race is dedicated to the late cycling benefactor Bert Lina.