Ean Cajucom of Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team earns the distinction as the first back-to-back winner in the MPTC Tour of Luzon: Great Revival after ruling the high-octane 168.76-kilometer ride from Agoo, La Union to Clark, Pampanga on Sunday morning.
Cajucom captures Stage 4 in MPTC Tour of Luzon
CLARK — Not just once, but twice for Ean Cajucom of Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team.
Cajucom became the first back-to-back lap winner of the MPTC Tour of Luzon: Great Revival as he topped Stage 4 that started at the Eagle of the North Park in Agoo, La Union and ended at the Filinvest Mimosa Acacia Drive here Sunday.
Cajucom finished the race in three hours, 32 minutes and 45 seconds, claiming top honors in the 163.76-kilometer stage 4 of the eight-stage summer bikathon presented by Duckworld PH in cooperation with Cignal.
The 22-year-old pride of Marikina City sped frantically in the last few hundred meters to beat Mervin Corpuz of MPT Drive Hub and Aidan James Mendoza of Go For Gold Cycling Team.
“Nasa plano talaga ng team namin na kunin ang stage win ngayon. Maganda ang panahon at maganda din ang plano ng team,’’ said Cajucom, who also ruled the largely flat Stage 3 from Vigan City to San Juan, La Union the other day.`
“Nakatulong din yun Europe training pati coach namin na based sa Spain. Nabigyan kami ng magandang training program. Malaking bagay para sa amin,’’ said Cajucom, who was s part of a huge wave of riders in the second group that included overall leader Joo Dae-Yeong of South Korea.
In the final stretch, Cajucom made a mad dash to the finish line in a close battle after the peloton caught up with the lead pack consisting of Fel Angelo Ombal (Excellent Noodles), Jan Paul Morales (Standard Insurance), Genovibo Gocotano III (Exodus Army), James Paul Ryan Escumbien (Go for Gold), Rustom Lim (MPT Drivehub), Andrei Domingo (Tom n Toms), Daniel Carino, and Rush Camingao (Victoria Sports).
Joo, the yellow jersey holder since winning the opening stage in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, stayed comfortably in the peloton for most of the smooth route that took the participants to the towns and cities of Pangasinan and Tarlac before sprinting home in this former American airbase.
Two-time South Korea national champion Joo leads Ronald Oranza of Standard Insurance Philippines by four minutes and 30 seconds.
Mendoza stays in third, 4:36 behind, followed by Dominic Perez of Exodus Army Cycling Team in fourth (4:43), Mervin Corpuz of MPT Drivehub in fifth (4:44), George Oconer of Standard Insurance Philippines in sixth (4:46), and Rustom Lim of MPT Drivehub in seventh (4:54).
Jan Paul Morales of Standard Insurance Philippines bounced back into contention after crashing near the finish in Stage 1, now sitting in eighth (5:21), with Malaysian Mohammad Faiz Fakhri Omar in ninth (5:27) and Junreck Carcueva in tenth (5:28).
The individual general classification champion will earn P500,000 while the team champion brings home P1 million in the race also backed by Pilipinas Live, Meralco, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Health, Megaworld, Landco, PLDT and Smart.
The Tour’s great revival is endorsed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board, BCDA and MVP Sports Foundation.
The overall individual champion will be determined in the Stage 8 in Baguio City.
Stage 5 is mostly flat from Mimosa Drive here going to New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac before turning back home — a 160.6km out-and-back route marked by hilly terrain.
