Participants cross a bridge during Stage 6.
Stage 6 to Malaysian champ
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — It took just one tactical move for Malaysia’s Muhammad Zahin Wahhi to claim victory in Stage 6 of the MPTC Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival at the Maramba Boulevard here Tuesdau.
Wahhi clocked three hours, 31 minutes, and 12 seconds covering the 163.76-kilometer race from Acacia Drive in Filinvest Mimosa, Clark, Pampanga, to the finish line in front of the Pangasinan Capitol Complex. A large crowd gathered to witness the race under bright, sunny skies.
In a dramatic finish, Wahhi surged ahead of the 14-man lead group with a perfectly timed attack in the final 500 meters.
The win earned for him 15 bonus points and made him the first Malaysian rider to win a stage in the Philippine-based race in this prestigious event presented by Duckworld PH in cooperation with Cignal.
Mervin Corpuz of MPT Drivehub and Rench Michael Bondoc of 7-Eleven Philippines finished second and third, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 finishers were Mar Francis Sudario (EACT), Kenneth Maramba (Victorias), Jeremy Lizardo (Standard Insurance), Jerico Jay Lucero (G4G), Daniel Josh Corpuz (7-Eleven), James Paul Ryan Escumbien (G4G), and Emmanuel Dave Montemayor (EACT).
With his second-place finish in Stage 6, Corpuz leapt to second overall in the Individual General Classification, trailing only 1:56 behind two-time Korean national champion Dae-Yeong Joo of the Gapyeong Cycling Team.
“Ang target ko yun mahihirap talaga like yun sa Baguio kasi doon na magkakaalamanan,” said the 27-year-old Corpuz when asked about his approach against Joo.
“100 percent kasi pinaghandaan ko yun Baguio. Matira matibay talaga don sa Baguio, so laban talaga,” added Corpuz when asked about his climbing.
Santy Barnachea, Corpuz’s coach and uncle, agrees that his climbing is at 100 percent.
“Okay naman yun climbing kasi dun ko siya pinakilos. Wala sila gagawin kung hindi atake. So sa nakikita ko sa kundisyon nya kaya sumabay,”
Meanwhile, Manny V. Pangilinan, chairman of the MVP Group of Companies increased the individual prize money this year.
The individual general classification champion will earn P1,000,000 from (500,000), second runner-up P500,00 from (400,000) and third P350,000 from (300,000).
The team champion, on the other hand, brings home P1 million in the race also backed by Pilipinas Live, Meralco, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Health, Megaworld, Landco, PLDT and Smart.
The Tour of Luzon: The Great Revival is endorsed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board, BCDA and MVP Sports Foundation.
The champion will be crowned after Stage 8 on Thursday in Baguio City.
